A Snowflake in Spring
by Celery Sticks
Summary: After her brother Hans is institutionalized, Anna makes it her mission to visit him whenever she can. The sooner he comes home, the sooner everything will go back to normal. She wasn't expecting to meet the asylum's resident 'Ice Queen,' who refuses to speak or acknowledge anyone... except Anna. /Cover art by one lorelei-lilyprincess over on Tumblr/
1. Chapter 1

The first time Anna saw her, she'd been visiting her brother Hans.

Hans had been institutionalized about two months ago, after a nervous breakdown. Her brother was the quarterback of the Arendelle Stags, had been since his junior year. This was no surprise considering he wasn't just physically fit for the job, but Anna's older brother (her senior by two years) had a certain charm, a certain way with words that had his teammates practically tripping over themselves to follow his instructions. No matter how bad the game got, Hans always managed to find a way to lead the Stags to victory.

Until two months ago.

It was the championship game, and everyone was pumped. The cheerleaders had gone all out and decorated practically every hallway in the school. Everywhere you looked it was green, purple and gold, the school's colors. Sloppily painted stag heads were printed in bulk and slapped on every locker door, and when it came time for the game the entire school showed up to watch. Anna had been in the front row, cheering louder than anyone.

It was supposed to be an easy game. The opposing team, the Southside Stallions, had never once won against the stags, it was a wonder they even made it to the finals. Hans hadn't been worried, he ran up to the stands for his pre-game Anna pep talk, grinning like an overexcited child as Anna rambled through her 'go, fight, win!' speech. When she was done she gave his helmet a quick kiss and, as gently as she could, smacked it down on top of his head. With a wave, he ran out onto the field and the game started. And it went great! By the end of the first half the Stags were winning 33-13.

But for some reason, once the second half started the Stags began to lose ground. They began to miss easy passes, fumble balls and the once-thundering crowd began to go silent.

By the time that last quarter rolled around, with only minutes left, the unthinkable had happened. The Stallions had made a comeback, the score now 33-28, however the Stags still had the lead. The crowd was now shouting angrily, no longer cheering for their team. Anna, from her place in the stands, had watched on with her hands clutching tightly at the railing, nervous for her brother. They had the ball, and with the time left they'd still be to hold onto their win so long as there were no more foul ups. Maybe they'd even be able to score another touchdown.

That had been Hans' thinking, because on the third down he threw a long ball down field, and the entire stadium held their breath. It was a good throw, aimed to fall right into the arms of the Stag's wide receiver.

But out of nowhere, one of the Stallions appeared and intercepted the ball. The Stags were shocked, as was the Arendelle side of the stadium. The Southside fans went nuts as their player took off like a madman, sprinting for their end zone. Anna remembered her brother's voice, loud and angry and terrified, and had watched in horror as the Stags tried to recover the ball. It was futile however, and the championship game, which was supposed to be an easy win, ended up being an embarrassing loss.

Hans hadn't dealt with it well.

After a week of dirty looks from students (and even some of the teachers) and angry teammates shoving him against lockers, Hans had finally snapped and went on a rampage, destroying the locker room and putting two of his teammates in the hospital.

_He always did have a short fuse, _Anna thought to herself as the two sat side by side in the institute's lounge, watching a poker tournament on the small television that sat in the corner. _And he always did love calling people out on their bluffs. _That's all Hans had been doing since the tournament started. Every few minutes he would nudge her shoulder and point someone out, saying something like 'See how he just scratched his eyebrow? Means he's bluffing,' or 'Who does this guy think he's fooling?'

Anna would just giggle and nod, making the appropriate noises when someone made a bad play or did the opposite and won a big pot. A pot was what it was called, right?

She didn't really understand the game, the only card game she understood was War, but it was the one thing in life her brother really enjoyed other than football. Since that topic was now considered dangerous territory and would remain that way until further notice, Anna was more than happy to watch the tournaments with him. He got a kick out of asking her who she thought would win and watching her face screw up in concentration as she tried to remember the difference between a straight and a flush. She usually ended up being wrong, and Hans would laugh. Not that Anna minded. She'd do anything to keep Hans happy; in her head the better his mood the likelihood of him actually listening to his therapist was higher, and that meant he'd be back home sooner.

She really did miss her big brother, even if everyone at school now thought he was a psychopath and had no problem telling his little sister their opinions.

She didn't let it bother her though. No one at school really mattered all that much anyway. Just her, her brother, and her best friend Kristoff. He was a guy you couldn't help but like. Always friendly, always kind, and once you'd earned his trust you'd never have a friend half as loyal. He'd been Anna's platonic other half since their freshmen year, and by some stroke of fate they always had at least one class together so they were never really far apart.

Kristoff came with her sometimes, to see Hans. The two had often bonded over their shared protectiveness of Anna, and even though Kristoff was dead-set against participating in public school culture he was always happy to help Hans practice his throws. It was the only thing he ever did for the sake of the school, even though he thought their classmates' obsession with team spirit and their cult following of games they probably didn't even understand was moronic. Anna couldn't even remember the amount of times the blonde boy would rant about the utter idiocy of high school hierarchy and status quo, but she did remember one particular instance earlier that year where he'd been so focused on rambling that he bowled over one of their professors. He'd been a blushing, stuttering mess then, because he'd had a crush on Miss Colette (the terrifying but oddly charismatic Home Economics teacher) since Freshman year.

A catchy commercial jingle brought Anna's attention back to the television, and when she realized the tournament was temporarily on hold she turned to her brother. "You want anything from the vending machine?"

Bright green eyes turned to meet her own turquoise ones, and her brother grinned. "I could go for a soda. You want anything?"

Anna nodded and turned to rummage in her bag for her wallet. "Yeah, a water bottle for me, lemme just-"

"Hey hey, I got it. Just sit, you don't have to get up." Anna rolled her eyes at her brother and his obsession with being a gentleman literally _all the time_, but relented and gave Hans a few dollar bills. He gave her a wink and left the lounge, headed out into the hallway where the vending machines and telephones were. A few of the other patients who were in the lounge turned to watch him go.

With the way the lounge was designed, there was the actual lounge room itself (filled with tables and relatively comfy chairs, well lit with natural light that came in through the windows), a reinforced door that connected the lounge to the rest of the institute, and then the hallway where her brother was headed now. It was a dead end, with only a lonely janitor's closet occupying a fraction of the empty white walls. The only way out of the visitor's lounge (aside from the way Anna and the other visitors came in, obviously) was that heavy, intimidating door on the opposite side of the room. There was a office for the supervising orderly too, over in the corner closest to the steel door. The orderlies at the institute were usually content to just leave the visitors alone with their loved ones, and they usually just sat in the office to do paperwork. Cameras videotaped everything anyway, so as far as privacy went the Arendelle Institute for the Emotionally Disturbed were pretty accommodating.

Something Anna was grateful for.

She leaned back, sinking into the couch, letting her head fall back as her eyes slid shut. These visits, no matter how little physical effort they required, always left her drained. It was hard seeing her brother the way he was now, hair disheveled, sideburns unkempt. He used to be so handsome, his disposition bright and sunny. Always well-kept too; before the breakdown Anna couldn't remember a day that Hans didn't look perfect, unlike herself who always woke up late and only ever spent five minutes on her appearance.

Now though, dark shadows had become a permanent fixture under his eyes. His clothes were always wrinkled too, as though he'd been sleeping in them. Still, Anna was happy to see her brother's eyes bright again. The first few times she'd visited him, the eyes that had always reminded her of summer had been dull and sickly looking, glassy with pain and red-rimmed with anger.

Admittedly, Anna had been afraid of her brother then. He'd had a tendency to snap at her, though he'd never once raised a hand against her. But there had been this look in his eyes… panicked, afraid, hurt. Like an animal in a cage.

_Well, if these visits are helping then the only thing to do is keep right on with them. The sooner he's home, the sooner life goes back to being simple._

Anna let her lips curl up into a smile at the thought. Her eyes opened slowly.

The sight of bright, wide eyes staring back at her was definitely _not_ something she'd been expecting.

If she hadn't been spending so much time around her land-mine of a brother lately she almost surely would have screamed and flinched away, quite possibly falling off the couch and onto the floor in a very ungraceful manner. However, over the past few months she'd become a master of holding back her more... _enthusiastic _reactions. So fortunately, she was able to contain the scream and keep her rear planted firmly on the cushion.

And instead, she merely returned the gaze, curious as it was, and smiled softly.

"Hello."

The owner of the bright blue (topaz blue, Anna noted) eyes blinked, their head tilting slightly to the side. A strand of pale blonde hair fell over their face, but there was no move made to push it back into place.

Which was understandable, considering the girl's hands were otherwise occupied with clutching a loose, messy braid like it was her lifeline.

Anna didn't move, she just continued to smile up at the innocent face of the girl standing above her. The longer their eyes stayed connected, the more Anna realized that this girl was extremely beautiful. Her pale skin (really, _really_ pale, sun-deprived even) was flawless, the light freckles sprinkled across the bridge of her nose too adorable to be considered flaws. Speaking of her nose, it was small and dainty, complemented by well-defined cheekbones.

Her hands, which were shifting unsurely now, twisting the braid they held captive, suited her well. From what Anna could tell her fingers were long and slender, nails well kept.

Anna's smile stretched wider when one of those hands came up in a shy wave. The redhead immediately waved back, warmth swelling in her chest when the lightest of blushes rose in the other girl's cheeks.

"What's your name?"

Blue eyes blinked once again, brows coming together in slight suspicion. Anna had to contain a giggle at the sight, her cheeks bunching up with the force of her grin.

A few moments of silence passed and Anna's confidence began to waver. Did she have something on her face? Why was this girl just staring at her? _And none too friendly, either._ There was nothing hostile in this girl's eyes, not at all. But the intensity in them, the and the fact that none of that intensity was in any way readable, was slightly unsettling. Anna forged ahead though, hoping that maybe an introduction would make things less awkward. Anna tilted her head to the side, biting her lip before opening her mouth again to speak. "My name's Anna."

The one hand that the girl had used to wave, which had been hanging unsurely in the air, fingers curled, returned to join its twin and resumed worrying over the braid that hung over one shoulder. More silence followed. Anna felt her own blush grow in her cheeks, but she kept her gaze steady despite the urge to avert her eyes, or break the silence with a cough. After what felt like a stiff, uncomfortable forever the other girl finally dropped her eyes off to the side, shoulders scrunching up towards her ears as she bit at her bottom lip. _Well that's kinda c__ute. _Finally, the blonde took in a shaky breath and opened her mouth to speak. Anna's eyes widened, her heart thumping with anticipation.

Just as the first sound was about to tumble from between pink lips, footsteps approached.

"Anna?"

Anna's eyes snapped over to meet her brother's. He'd returned from the vending machine, a water bottle in one hand and a coke in the other. His eyes were narrowed menacingly at the blonde, who'd all of a sudden seemed to curl in on herself, hands clenching tighter together than they had been a moment ago.

Anna sent her brother a thankful grin, straightening back up and reaching out to grab her water. "Hey Hans, thanks for getting my-"

He interrupted her with a snarl, "What are _you_ doing here?"

Her hand froze, halfway to it's destination. Anna's eyes narrowed, jaw falling slack in surprise at the anger in her brother's tone. Where had _that_ come from? The blonde was doing nothing wrong! What was Hans so upset about? She knew how protective he was of her, but that was no reason for him to be nasty to this innocent girl who was just saying hi. "Hans…"

"Go away."

"Hans!"

Anna stood up to try and stop her but the blonde practically fled to the other side of the room, throwing herself into the chair where Anna guessed she'd been sitting before considering the strange girl immediately buried her nose in the book that had been left on the table. Even though the blonde wouldn't see it Anna sent an apologetic, sheepish grin her way before whipping around to face her brother.

Anna's hands clenched into fists at her sides, eyes narrowed in anger. "What was that for?!" she whispered angrily. "She wasn't doing anything wrong!"

Without answering her, Hans plopped back down onto the couch with a huff. The malice was gone from his face, his features relaxed. He seemed completely disinterested now that the girl was a fair distance away. He put her water bottle down on the floor and popped open his soda.

Anna stared at him incredulously for a few moments before she sighed. She cast one sad look across the room, but the smallest of grins immediately tugged at her lips when she saw the blonde clutching a pencil in her left hand and scribbling away at a page in the book.

_An artist, huh? Hm._

She stared for a moment more before reluctantly reclaiming her seat next to her brother. She reached for her water bottle and twisted the cap off, settling back into the softness of the couch. She chalked the visit up to just being 'one of those days,' and tried to refocus herself back on the tournament.

Her brother didn't say a word for the rest of the visit.


	2. Chapter 2

She didn't see her again for a week.

It was the end of February, and the sun had decided to give a little preview of the fast-approaching spring. The moment Anna had stepped outside that morning she'd grinned and immediately slipped off her jacket to feel the sun on her skin. She loved winter, always had, but she was a wild child and missed being able to run around outside with reckless abandon and without fear of catching cold. Anna stood still for a moment, closing her eyes and breathing in the smell of the warm air before hurrying to and hopping in her car. She plucked her sunglasses from the glove compartment and rolled the windows down for the half hour drive to the institute, absolutely glowing in the warmth and light of the sun. As she drove she sang along to whatever songs happened to pop up on the radio, even though half the time she didn't know the words and she ended up either making up her own or just humming along to the beat.

She had waved to the orderlies she passed on her way into the visitor's lounge, each of them happy to see her. Anna had always been a pleasure to have in the facility; her kind smile could make almost every single one of the other patients smile right back, amazed to be shown such kindness from a stranger. Many of the patients approached Anna for simple conversation and in one case (in the form of a small boy with dark, distracted eyes), warm hugs.

But only when her brother wasn't around.

When Hans was there with Anna, the other patients and even the orderlies gave them a wide berth. Anna never noticed, but anyone that tried to approach the pair was sent a cold, menacing glare from green eyes narrowed to slits. The message was clear: no one but Hans was allowed to enjoy Anna's company.

Anna, as noted, never realized any of this, too distracted by the charming smiles and jokes her brother offered her.

He was there waiting for her in the lounge when she got there, and as a smile stretched across his face he stepped forward to wrap her up in a bear hug that lifted her off the ground. "Hey sis!"

"Hans," she cried out between fits of giggles, "put me down!" Anna was spun around once before being safely deposited back on the floor. She punched her brother lightly on the shoulder, laughing again when he flinched away with an exaggerated gasp of pain. "You big baby. So! In case you didn't know, it's insanely gorgeous outside today. Feel up for taking a walk?"

Hans' eyes widened. "Are you kidding? Fuck yes I want to go outside, I've been cooped in here with nothing but stale air to breathe for way too long!"

Anna winced at the cuss word (she never could stand it when people cursed) but kept the smile on her face as she went over to talk to Mr. Oaken, the orderly on duty.

Mr. Oaken was the perfect guy to have working the visitor's lounge. He was absolutely massive for one thing, so even the more aggressive patients stayed on their best behavior whenever he was around. He was also a big softie a heart, so even though he could literally pick you up with one hand and throw you over his shoulder like it was nothing, he was usually too kind to be scary.

"Hoo hoo! Good to see you again, Anna! Visiting your brother again, ya?"

"Yep! I was actually wondering if it would be okay for me to maybe take him outside? I mean, it's just that it's so nice out and, you know me, I don't wanna cross any lines or anything but I thought that some fresh air might do him some good and-"

Mr. Oaken waved away her rambling. "Of course dear. Just sign here and double back the way you came in. There's a path by the entry way that leads into the garden. I'm afraid there won't be many flowers out right now, but you're right. Might do him so good, ya?"

Anna breathed a sigh of relief. She signed both her and her brother's name on the sheet the big man provided, then looked at her phone to check the time so she could write it down.

Giving Mr. Oaken one last grin, which he promptly returned, she turned back and gave her brother a thumbs up.

He smirked back at her and moved quickly to her side. Holding his arm out for her to take, she giggled and gave a quick curtsy before looping her arm through his.

Before they left, Anna cast a quick glance around the visitor's lounge. There was one patient, a tall, older woman with a beautiful face and black hair who stood at the window, muttering to her reflection. Anna had seen her a few times, and she was always in the same spot, always talking to herself. Oaken had warned her to stay away from that particular woman, for she had a history of violence. A few other patients were mulling around, talking to people that were clearly from the outside world. Friends, family, loved ones. All putting on happy faces, even though Anna knew from personal experience that many of them were fighting to keep back angry shouts or frustrated tears.

Pursing her lips as she gave one last sweep of the area, Anna found herself slightly disappointed when she realized that a certain pale blonde head was not among them.

* * *

><p>Outside, thankfully the sun was still shining brightly. The sky was clear, a beautiful bright blue, peppered every now and then with cottony clouds.<p>

Anna could tell her brother was enjoying himself. Every time a bird flew by his whole head would follow it with a wide grin on his face, and every now and then he inhaled deeply, letting it go with an exaggerated sigh. "God, I've missed fresh air."

Anna smiled softly, looking up at her brother with affection in her eyes. "I bet."

Her brother turned to smile at her. "Thanks for this, Anna."

Anna cocked her head to the side. "For what?"

"For always visiting me. It really helps, but I know it can't be easy. There are other things you could be doing."

The redhead scoffed. "Like what? Gossiping about any and every boy within a ten mile radius with the school 'princesses'? I swear, if I hear that floozy Ariel say she's eloping with her boyfriend Eric one more time, during her next swim meet I'm gonna make sure she _stays_ underwater. Then again, considering the girl's practically a fish she'd probably enjoy it."

Hans laughed. "Speaking of boys, are you and Kristoff dating yet? Do I need to give him the big brother talk next time I see him?"

Anna blushed bright red, planting her feet firmly on the ground, pulling her brother off balance as he tried to keep walking. "Kristoff and I are not_ dating_! And we never will! God, Kristoff's my best friend! He's such a dork, and have you ever gotten close to smell him? I don't know what kind of detergent he uses, but it's not doing his clothes any favors. And you wanna know the grossest part? I've even seen him pick his nose and _eat it_!"

Hans cocked an eyebrow. "So? All men do it."

Anna wanted to scream in exasperation, hands coming up to cover her face. "That's _disgusting_. Hans, Kristoff and I are never going to start dating. If we do, that means something's wrong with me and that you can save a spot for me in your group therapy sessions."

Hans rolled his eyes, and dragged his sister over to a bench that sat a little ways off the path they were currently walking. He sat them both down and tilted his head back, letting the sun shine on his face. "Deny it all you want, but Kristoff's the only one I trust you with. Don't be surprised when it happens."

Anna huffed, crossing her arms and letting her back thump against the bench. The two siblings sat in silence for a while, the occasional chirping of a bird being the only thing to break it. Anna slowly loosened up, her posture relaxing as her eyes began to wander. She wanted Hans to enjoy the fresh air for as long as possible before he had to go inside again for who knows how long, so sitting in silence was fine by her. It was gorgeous out, anyway. Out of curiosity, she began to count the windows on the institution building, starting from the bottom and working her way up.

Turquoise eyes stopped when they reached fourteen.

She'd found the head of blonde hair that had been missing in the visitor's lounge.

On the second floor, third window from the right, Anna saw her. The beautiful girl she'd met in the lounge the other day was looking out the window, hands pressed up against the glass. Her eyes were wide, and Anna could tell from here that her breath was causing the window to fog up. It kind of looked like she was seeing the sun for the very first time. The sight made Anna giggle, though she couldn't exactly blame the other girl. The winter had been long and harsh, cloudy more often than not even if it didn't snow. Anna had missed the sun herself.

Suddenly, almost as if the girl had heard her, bright blue eyes met Anna's and the blonde froze.

They just gazed at each other for a while, until Anna smiled and waved.

The other girl visibly jumped, eyes growing even wider as her mouth popped open in surprise. After a moment, one of her hands pressed back up against the glass, the other coming up to her mouth, probably biting at a perfect thumbnail. She stood there for a moment, but Anna continued to smile, not bothered by the lack of response.

When the other girl finally waved back however, Anna cocked her head to the side, curiously. She turned to look at her brother, who still had his eyes closed. She nudged him with her shoulder, glancing back up at the shy blonde who was still staring at her from the window.

"Hans, who is that?"

"Hm?" Hans opened one eye, fixing his green gaze on her. When he saw her looking upwards he straightened up and followed her gaze. When his eyes found the blonde girl they narrowed dangerously, and said girl immediately retreated from the window. Anna just managed to catch the fear in her eyes as she disappeared back into whatever room she was in. She frowned, but her brother's next words made her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "That's the Ice Queen."

"The _what_?" she asked, voice incredulous.

"The Ice Queen. That's what everyone calls her. She never speaks, ignores almost everyone, and according to the Weasel she's been here for a long time." He leaned back against the bench again. "Stay away from her. I don't want her tainting you with her weirdness."

Ignoring Hans' rude nickname for his therapist, she narrowed her eyes at his unfounded dislike of the blonde. It made absolutely no sense to her; if what he said was true then it's not like the Ice Queen could have ever said anything to offend him, or done anything at all to really make him mad. His dismissal of her and whatever issues she clearly had also succeeded in making Anna just about as angry as she could be at her brother without feeling the need to resort to violence. She kept quiet though, to keep the mood. After all, she was used to her brother being rude and insensitive when it came to other people. Even before his breakdown, he'd been that way, and it was very unlikely for him to suddenly change his ways now, when he was surrounded by people who suffered from various levels of psychosis.

Anna's eyes returned to the window, and she was saddened to see that the girl had not returned.

_The Ice Queen, huh? _Anna wondered about it for a bit before grinning. _Totally doesn't suit her. She's way too adorable._


	3. Chapter 3

Anna went back to the institute the very next day.

No, she wasn't going to visit her brother. In fact, when she arrived her brother would actually be in with his therapist, the ever-pleasant and kindhearted Mr. Weselton.

_Heh. Yeah right. I don't think I've ever met someone who fit the phrase "stuffy old man" quite so perfectly. I can't really blame Hans for calling him Weasel._

So why was she going to the institute when she knew her brother wouldn't be available? Easy.

She was going to see the Ice Queen.

From the moment she'd gotten home yesterday her head had been filled with nothing but thoughts of the curious blonde with the shy smile and brilliant blue eyes. Yesterday, when Anna had flopped down onto her bed and closed her eyes, letting the sweet smell of chocolate (a permanent fixture in her bedroom most likely caused by the stash of Hershey bars she kept under her bed) fill her nostrils, all she could see were those eyes blinking back at her, jewel-like and innocent.

Rolling over to stare at the ceiling, she'd spent the next three hours wondering about anything and everything. Why was the other girl institutionalized? How long had she been there? Why had she been alone in the visitor's lounge that day when they first met? What had she been drawing? Was drawing her only hobby? Did she have others? What was her favorite food? Did she like chocolate? Was her hair naturally that gorgeously platinum?

(As you can see, Anna had a very curious mind.)

But the one question that kept coming back to the forefront of her mind was probably the most important one.

What was her name?

Right then and there Anna had decided that she was going to find out. The next morning, an unfortunately cold Saturday, Anna had tied her wild hair into its usual twin braids, gathered her things and hopped in her car. Singing along to the radio, the drive was pleasant and relatively uneventful. She did however almost get into an accident when her eyes left the road to follow a fox she thought she glimpsed running in the woods along the side of the road. Could you blame her though? Foxes were her favorite animals.

When she made it to the institute and parked her car, she sat for a moment. All of a sudden she was nervous. What if the other girl didn't want to see her? What if she thought she was weird for wanting to visit someone she didn't actually know?

"That'd be kind of ironic. The girl in an institute for the emotionally sick thinking _I'm_ weird… wait, is that awful of me to say? I mean, I could totally be weird. I probably actually really am…" Anna blinked, a blush rising in her cheeks. "I'm totally talking to myself. Jeez, I am weird."

She groaned but grabbed her bag and left the car all the same. She headed into the institute and let memory guide her feet to the visitor's lounge. Her heart soared when she saw that Mr. Oaken was on duty at the front desk; hopefully he wouldn't judge her for her weird request. She cast a quick glance around the lounge and was surprised to see that it was empty. Granted, she never really came here on Saturdays, but still. You'd think that the weekends would be busier than the regular week. Shrugging, Anna walked over to Oaken's desk.

"Mr. Oaken?"

The big man looked up from the paperwork he'd been filling out and blinked at her in surprise. "Anna? What brings you here? You know your brother is in therapy at the moment, ya?"

Anna waved, a nervous smile on her lips. "Yeah, yeah I know. I mean, I have his schedule memorized. Um, I'm not actually here to see _him_ though. I was actually kinda hoping to, well… this is gonna sound weird but um, I-I'm here to see the… Ice Queen?" Fire bloomed in her cheeks when Mr. Oaken blinked again, confusion clear in his features. "Look, I know this is totally weird, especially since I don't actually know her name- oh God, saying it out loud makes it so much worse! Okay, this was stupid, I'm sorry. I'll just go and-"

"Anna. Please. Just a moment."

Anna looked over her shoulder, halfway to the door already. She'd begun retreating during her rant, eager to run away from the embarrassment she was bringing upon herself with her word vomit. Mr. Oaken had stood up, raising one finger in a gesture that clearly meant 'wait here'. He then ducked down into the office room where the phone was kept. Anna could see him through the Plexiglas panel that made up about half of the room's closest wall. He was on the phone for a minute or so, nodding once before hanging up and coming back to the desk.

He sat down again, massive body completely overtaking the disproportionately small desk. He smiled up at her, kind eyes crinkling at the corners. For some reason, her request seemed to have pleased him greatly. "She'll be out in a moment, dear."

With that, he returned to his paperwork.

Anna stood still for a moment, processing what had just happened, before a grin broke out on her lips and she practically skipped over to the chair opposite from the one the Ice Queen had been sitting in the day they met. She put her purse down on the table and waited. She was still nervous; just because Oaken had approved the visit didn't necessarily mean that it wasn't going to be awkward.

_Hm... how can I make this _not_ awkward? What should I say? What do you say to someone that doesn't speak? Now that I think about it, how am I supposed to find out what her name is, anyway? It's not like she's going to come out wearing a name tag... _

Soon though, she felt her phone buzz.

Retrieving it from her pocket, she was pleasantly surprised to see she had a message from Kristoff.

'_When r u going to the institute again? I wanna see how Hans is doing'_

Anna grinned and quickly typed out a reply. _'Here now, actually. Not to see Hans though, tell you about it l8er :)'_

The second she hit send she heard a door being opened and looked up. An older woman dressed in the orderlies white uniform stepped into the room and looked around. When she realized Anna was the only one in the room, the woman gazed at her curiously for a moment before sending her a kind smile.

"You're Anna?"

Anna immediately stood, slipping her phone back in her pocket. "Yes ma'am!"

The older woman nodded once before letting the door open wider. She glanced back over her shoulder and stepped to the side. "Come now Elsa, don't be shy. You have a very pretty visitor today. Why don't you go and say hi?"

_Elsa… so that's her name! Whoo! Thank God we got that out of the way... wow, it's so pretty. Just like her, actually. Her parents certainly knew what they were doing!_

Anna felt her heart rate pick up when Elsa stepped forward, white sneakers shuffling against the linoleum floor, and a grin stretched across her face. Their eyes immediately found each other. The blonde was once again clutching at her braid, shoulders scrunched up to her ears. A light dusting of pink graced her cheeks, and Anna couldn't help but swoon a little bit at the look of utter surprise that was growing in those big blue eyes.

Blue eyes that were complemented by the royal blue sweater the other girl wore, which was honestly way too big for her. The sleeves bunched at pale wrists, and Anna figured that when her arms were down at her sides the sweater probably swallowed up most of the blonde's hands. The bottom of it came down past the girl's hips, making the transition from lumpy sweater to tight white calf-length leggings that much more drastic.

_Gosh, she's so tiny! _

It was true. Anna hadn't really noticed before, but the Ice Queen was stick-thin. She had hips, Anna could kind of see them hiding under the sweater, but if Anna had to guess she'd say that Elsa hadn't physically exerted herself in years. Anna wasn't exactly a body builder, but she could easily picture herself tossing the thin blonde over her shoulder and toting her around.

When Elsa just continued to stand there, staring dumbly at Anna with wide eyes, the old woman grinned and gently pushed her forward. Not expecting it, the blonde stumbled slightly, and Anna immediately tensed, ready to spring to the rescue. It wasn't necessary though, for Elsa managed to catch herself. Arms now out at her sides to help her keep her balance, her eyes flew to the floor, the blush across her cheeks intensifying. Elsa quickly brought her arms back in, hugging herself as she bit at her bottom lip, eyes flicking back up to meet Anna's for a just a moment before falling once again. The orderly smiled again before heading back into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

As the door clicked shut, silence fell over the two.

Anna, unsure of what to do and afraid she might startle the other girl if she did something rash, waited for Elsa to make the first move.

Elsa was silent for a time before she took a deep, shaky breath. As she let it out her body seemed to force itself to relax and her pale hands returned to the blonde braid, fingers running through the strands and mussing it up. She looked up, eyes unsure, and Anna tried her best to smile as kindly as she could. Elsa gulped, throat bobbing as she did so, and finally took a step forward. Cautiously, she took another, and soon was crossing the room to the table.

Anna waited for her to approach, the gentle grin still on her face as her head tilted to the side. When Elsa finally made it, the redhead ducked down to meet her gaze. "Hi."

Elsa's gaze remained steady. After a few moments a tiny smile curled upon her lips and she gave Anna a little wave, just a bit more confident than the previous ones Anna had received.

The redhead immediately waved back, mentally high-fiving herself when the smile grew and some of the nervousness disappeared from Elsa's eyes.

"Here, you don't have to stand. That'd be rude of me, asking to see you then making you stand the whole time." Anna plopped down into the chair, throwing one leg over the other and resting her hands on her knee. Elsa blinked once before pulling out her own chair, sliding into it and stiffly resting her hands in her lap. Anna waited until she was situated, and when their eyes once again met her mouth started doing what it did best.

Talk.

"So your name's Elsa?" A shy nod was her answer. "That's a really pretty name. Seriously, like I don't think I've ever heard it before, mean... I've heard Emma, Emily, I even met an Evangeline once, but never an Elsa. It suits you perfectly though! Super pretty. Um... sorry about this by the way, just coming over for a visit unannounced and all, asking for you. Part of me actually wonders why you agreed to come see me! I mean, for all you knew I was a total weirdo stranger. The again, you did look surprised to see me… does that mean that you have to come whenever the orderlies tell you that you have a visitor? No matter who it is, or how you're feeling? That's gotta be weird, not having a say in accepting visitors."

Elsa merely cocked her head, eyes wandering over Anna's face. Her cheeks were still red from the compliment Anna had paid her, but her gaze was attentive, the corner of her mouth pulled up in a lopsided grin.

Anna swallowed. _God, I'm rambling. I can feel it. I can _feel_ the ramble. _

Unfortunately, whenever Anna realized she was rambling that usually made it worse.

"Jeez, I'm sorry if I'm bothering you. I probably am. I've been told that I'm annoying before," Elsa's eyes narrowed at that, which Anna didn't notice as she was too busy trying to control the words tumbling from between her lips, "but I wanted to come see you and apologize. On the day we met my brother was a total jerk to you for no reason. You so didn't deserve that. If I'd been you, I would have been so mad! But it's kinda obvious that you're really shy so I can't really see you getting angry… not that you couldn't! I'm sure that if… okay Anna. Stop."

She slammed her hands down on the table top. Elsa jumped. Anna sent her an apologetic grimace, her brow furrowed with worry. Being loud around Elsa was probably not the best idea, given how shy and gentle she seemed to be. "Sorry! It's just that if I let myself keep talking we'll be here for hours, and I'll probably end up wanting to die of embarrassment. Not that I'm not right now but…" The redhead trailed off. She sighed and shook her head, unable to fight the self-deprecating smile that tugged at her lips. Lord, was she hopeless.

"Anyway," Anna reached into her purse, retrieving the apology gift she'd brought with her. "I wanted to give you this, as a peace offering to accompany the apology."

She presented Elsa with a Hershey's chocolate bar.

The blonde's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"I love chocolate. I'm a firm believer in its healing properties. So, for the sake of good feelings, I hereby sacrifice one of my beloved chocolate bars to you, Elsa."

Elsa's eyes shifted rapidly between the chocolate bar and Anna's before they settled on the latter. She pointed to herself, and when Anna nodded in response shaky hands reached out to take it.

Both girls took a sharp intake of breath when their fingers brushed against each other's. Elsa bit her lip and quickly glanced up at Anna before taking the chocolate bar. She stared at it for a moment before immediately tearing open the package. She broke off a square and bit it in half, eyes sliding shut in ecstasy as she enjoyed the treat.

Anna couldn't help but giggle. "I'm guessing you like chocolate just as much as I do, huh?"

Elsa's eyes opened, shining brightly as she flashed Anna the first open-mouthed smile the redhead had seen from the shy blonde. It was absolutely gorgeous; Elsa's teeth were pearly white and her mouth did this funny thing where it pulled further up at one side. It was kind of dorky and very cute. Anna leaned forward, arms resting on the tabletop. "I think that you and I are going to get along just fine."

Elsa's smile grew, and she quickly finished the rest of her square. She then immediately broke off another and stretched out her hand, offering it to Anna.

Turquoise eyes widened, hands coming up to wave away the offered piece. "No no no, that's for you! I can't eat your apology gift, that totally defeats the purpose!"

Elsa didn't retreat, hand still stretched across the table. Her eyes bored into Anna's, intense and determined.

Anna blushed, meekly reaching out to take the square. _Not like I could ever say no to chocolate…_

_Or those eyes._

Elsa nodded to herself, breaking off another piece. The blonde was relaxed now, leaning against the back of the chair, shoulders no longer scrunched up to her ears. As she began to nibble at the new piece, Anna glanced down at her own. A tiny yelp escaped her lips as she realized it was melting and she quickly threw it in her mouth, tongue darting out to lick the melted chocolate from her skin.

She didn't notice Elsa pause in her snacking, eyes following her every move.

When she was convinced her hand was clean, Anna looked up just in time to see Elsa glance away, blushing furiously.

* * *

><p><strong>I do this thing where I don't introduce myself until the story's already started.<strong>

**Hey all! Celery Sticks here, and welcome to the ride. Since we're already kind of into it, I guess that means you're stuck with me for a while. ****Don't worry, I'll be gentle! Actually no, I probably won't be. Honestly, I may be trying to kill you all with this one. Frozen gives me serious feelings. **

**Anyway, I'm truly surprised by the amount of interest in this! Over 50 followers already! You guys are seriously chill AF. I hope you all continue to enjoy it!**

**-Cel**


	4. Chapter 4

It was another three days before Anna made it back to the institute. Kristoff had tagged along, excited to see Hans. He hadn't come with her to visit for at least five weeks, but Anna couldn't really blame him. Kristoff's large (and eccentric) family worked a "Winter Wonderland" fair throughout much of the winter season, and it was Kristoff's job to take care of all the animals. His favorite was Sven, the reindeer that happily allowed children of all ages to ride around on his back, the kids giggling and smiling as he pranced around like a show pony.

Considering the fair had been open for the last time this year just a few days ago, Anna knew this was probably the only free time Kristoff had had in a while. She was both flattered and happy that he immediately thought of her and her brother. The good news was that, now that the fair was closed up, hopefully Kristoff would have more time for her now that he didn't have to work. It wasn't like he didn't make time for her now, they still hung out every weekend, but still.

"So, tell me again about this Elsie chick."

Anna frowned, punching Kristoff in the arm as she kept her eyes on the road. "It's _Elsa,_ you big lump. _Elsa_."

Kristoff didn't even pretend to flinch away from the tiny blow as he burst out into laughter. "Okay okay, jeez! Someone's sensitive. So, Elsa then. What possessed you to expose all of your awkward to someone you'd known for all of five minutes? A someone who is currently checked in to a _mental_ institution, just in case you'd forgotten."

The redhead rolled her eyes. "Don't say it like that, Kristoff. It's not like she's a psychopath or anything. She's really sweet! Adorable, actually. Kind of like a little kid. You should have seen her devour that chocolate bar." Anna grinned, puffing out her chest proudly. "Reminds me a lot of myself, actually."

"Well you would totally be at home in a nuthouse…"

"Do you _want_ me to kick you out of the car? Cuz I will."

Kristoff smirked. "I mean, you could try. But since we're already in the parking lot I don't see it having the desired effect."

"Wait, what?" Anna blinked. _Oh. Wow. We really _are_ in the parking lot. When did that happen? _Anna ducked her head down in embarrassment, mumbling a quiet 'shut up' when Kristoff began laughing again. She pulled into a spot close to the entryway and shut the car off. "Alright numbskull, team meeting. Hans is doing much better, but he's still just as snarky. Don't tell him how tired he looks, don't stare at the wrinkles in his clothes, and whatever you do _don't_ bring up football. Or anyone at school, got it?"

Serious now, Kristoff was quiet for a moment, committing everything Anna said to memory, before he nodded. "Got it." But then he smiled, reaching over to ruffle Anna's hair. "You're a really good sister, you know that?"

Anna blushed, smacking Kristoff's hand away. "So not. I'm just doing what's right."

"That's what I mean. Most people today don't even know what the 'right thing' is anymore. They're all too caught up in themselves, or whatever the latest fad is. Remember when that new Disney movie came out and all of a sudden all the girls at school were five again? And you heard nothing but that one song for _weeks_? Remember how it never even crossed your mind to see it because you always let Hans take you to see kids movies? The fact that you go out of your way to spend time with someone everyone else has written off as 'dangerous' and try to prove to him that they're wrong is really awesome. I mean, I know he's your brother and all but still." He looked away then, opening up the car door and climbing out. Anna followed, cheeks still red from the out-of-nowhere praise.

Kristoff wasn't done yet though. As the pair walked to the entrance, he went on. "And this Elsa girl, she must really be special because even though you're always polite you'd never go through this much trouble for a total stranger. I mean, the last time another girl asked for your help you only agreed because she promised you food."

Anna scoffed. "Like anyone could ever say no to Tiana's gumbo."

Kristoff laughed, pulling open the door so Anna could head in first. "True, but you're missing the point."

Anna shrugged, eyes closing as she grinned and moved to step through the doorway. Two steps in and Anna collided with another body, letting out an un-lady like 'Oof!' as her eyes flew open. Lavender eyes stared back at her, and the redhead immediately backed up, apology after apology tumbling from between her lips.

The woman she'd just nearly trampled just sent her a watery smile, and Anna paused. The woman, who was accompanied by a tall man with chestnut hair and a neatly trimmed mustache, looked incredibly sad. Though her hair and makeup were both impeccable, her face mask-like in it's professionalism, nothing could hide the misty brightness of her eyes.

Anna could tell that this woman was very close to crying. The redhead's heart went out to her, and before she could stop herself Anna's mouth grew a mind of its own.

"It's hard, isn't it?" The woman blinked at her, mouth dropping open in surprise. Anna sent her a sad, understanding smile. "Every time I come to visit my brother, I feel just the way you do. Like it's hopeless. Like it might never get better. Don't feel bad for feeling that way. But, if I may: what always makes me feel better is remembering the good times, the happy memories. Just focus on those, and be thankful that whoever's in there that you're waiting for is still alive and well. That person you see in your head still exists, even if they're a little lost or confused right now. They'll come back to you one day, I promise!"

One of the woman's hands had come up to cover her mouth, and as a single tear trailed down her cheek Anna panicked. "Oh no, I-I didn't… I'm sorry! That was totally out of line, I just-"

But all of a sudden she was being crushed in a desperate embrace. Kristoff's eyes flew wide open. Anna gasped, barely forcing oxygen into her lungs, so tightly was she being clutched. After only a moment's hesitation however, Anna let her own arms encircle the woman's waist, hugging her right back.

_I get what she's feeling. I understand it completely. _

Anna's arms tightened and she let her forehead rest on the brunette's shoulder, breathing in and finding the scent somehow familiar. Her nose scrunched up in response as her brain began to tick. Why did this stranger smell so familiar? She was tempted to inhale again, curious as to where she'd smelled this scent before, but the other woman was pulling back. That was probably a good thing; inhaling a stranger's scent was definitely not a normal thing to do. She held Anna at arm's length, hands moving to rest on her shoulders. This time, her smile was real, though tears were continuing to trail down her cheeks.

"What is your name?"

Anna smiled up at her. "It's Anna."

Lavender eyes crinkled at the corners as the woman's smile grew, and she pulled Anna into another hug, this one much more relaxed and gentle. "Thank you, Anna."

Anna hugged her back, and when a hand came to rest on her shoulder she looked up into the kind eyes of the man the older woman was with. They were wet too now, tears threatening to spill over. He nodded once to her, and Anna smiled back at him.

Kristoff watched the entire exchange silently. A tender smile was on his own face, affection for Anna and her kind heart shining in his brown eyes. The blonde boy crossed his arms and chuckled. Leave it to Anna to comfort a total stranger.

The woman pulled away after a few more moments. She wiped away her tears (Anna couldn't help but be awed by the fact that her makeup still looked perfect), before smiling at Anna once again. "My name is Catrine Helland, and this is my husband Anton. Thank you very much for the kindness you have shown." She brought a hand up to cup Anna's cheek. "I pray that both of us find what we have lost."

Anna blushed under the attention, eyes falling to the floor.

Catrine looked to her husband and smiled. With one last thankful glance at Anna, the couple swept past her and headed out into the parking lot. Anna turned to watch them go, and as she did she once again caught the scent that had emanated from Catrine's clothing.

As she watched the pair climb into a fancy black four-door, she remembered.

_Elsa. She smells like Elsa._

* * *

><p><strong>GUYS. WHY ARE YOU TEMPTING ME TO UPDATE. STOP.<strong>

**Seriously. I have homework I should be doing, but I can't focus on anything but this story. I was literally awake until 4:30 this morning, thinking about ideas for it, and I feel like I have to use them ALL. God. Oh well, I'll get it done. **

**Anyway, shout out to my lovely reviewers, especially Aurorazilla, , TheElementHero, and ohlookanotherwriter. My reviewers are the chillest reviewers. So if you wanna be chill, join the club ;)**

**-Cel**


	5. Chapter 5

Anna's head was still spinning when the pair had made it to the visitor's lounge.

_I just met Elsa's parents. I just met Elsa's _parents. _They had to have been! Why else would they smell like her? _

…_is that creepy? I feel like that's creepy. Oh whatever. But __good God, her mom was gorgeous! Guess that's where Elsa gets it..._

The redhead pondered. If Elsa had just had visitors, then there was a possibility she might still be in the visitor's lounge when Anna got there! Maybe she'd get to introduce her to Kristoff, so the big lug would understand how adorable the blonde was and stop pestering her about her curious interest. An excited little grin broke out on her face. Even though she'd only spoken (and done all of said speaking herself) to Elsa twice, the idea of seeing her made the redhead's heart thump in her chest.

_Can't say I blame it. Seeing Elsa is like visiting a shy puppy. She's always so nervous and awkward, but when she's happy or excited it's just so precious. And when she smiles? Gosh. Not like me; my awkward is its own special mix of horrible discomfort and sweat and-_

The sound of Kristoff clearing his throat brought Anna back to the real world. "So…" He was looking down at her, an eyebrow raised in her direction. "When exactly did you become a motivational speaker?"

Anna looked away, blushing as she reached up to play with the end of one of her braids. "…shut up. I just... I don't know." When Kristoff continued to stare, expecting an answer, she groaned. "I don't know! I mean, she was literally about to cry! What was I supposed to do?"

"Well technically,_ you're_ the one that made her cry."

Anna frowned, heat rising in her cheeks. She crossed her arms, cheeks puffing out in a pout. "Yeah, but it helped! She hugged me, didn't she?"

Kristoff grinned. "Yeah, she did. Nearly crushed you in fact, with that first one."

Anna shrugged. "It wasn't that bad. Your hugs are just as bad, Mr. Reindeer Wrangler, and at least she smelled better than you." When Kristoff rolled his eyes Anna winked up at him before turning her gaze back forward. The pair continued on down the hall, the squeak of their sneakers hitting the linoleum floor echoing throughout the sterile-white space. "Besides, helping them out felt good. It kinda reminded me of how I feel about Hans. It isn't always easy, coming to see him, you know? I know how it feels, feeling like... like every time you come to visit you forget a little bit more of what 'normal,' feels like and it makes you sad. It was the hardest in the beginning... when Hans first got institutionalized. Everything I did felt wrong and I felt like I couldn't do anything to help him."

Her best friend frowned, immediately throwing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her in close to his side. Anna sent him a thankful smile, wrapping her own arm around his waist. She rested her cheek against his ribs, snuggling up against him. Even if she teased him about his less-than-floral smell every chance she got, truth was she actually liked the way he smelled. It was earthy and familiar, and she found it very comforting.

When the pair reached the visitor's lounge Anna immediately searched for blonde hair, and was extremely disappointed when she found none.

Elsa must have already left.

"Kristoff?"

The disappointment was forgotten almost immediately at the sound of her brother's voice. He'd been sitting in front of the TV, yet another poker tournament on screen. He had turned his head at the sound of footsteps and, upon seeing the pair, a smile lit up his face. He jumped up, leaping over the back of the couch (_Show off…_ Anna thought to herself) to reach them. He wrapped them both up in a hug, one arm snaking around Anna's waist and the other thumping Kristoff affectionately on the shoulder. "Dude, I haven't seen you in fucking forever! How ya been?"

Kristoff grinned toothily. "I've been good, man! But watch that mouth, there's a lady present."

Hans laughed and took his arm down from Kristoff's shoulder, balling it up into a fist to give his little sister a noogie. "Lady? Yeah right, she'll always be my little squirt!"

Anna laughed, trying to escape her brother's grip. "Hans," she managed to get out between giggles, "get off!"

He let her go with a grin. "Though I guess a squirt's virgin ears shouldn't be hearing that kind of big-kid speak anyway…" he stuck his nose in the air, giving her a stiff but exaggerated bow. "My deepest apologies, oh fair squirt." He said it in such a ridiculously snobby voice that Anna couldn't help but laugh again. Kristoff joined in, and soon the three of them were laughing like everything was right with the world.

Laughing the way they always had before… well. You can guess.

Amidst all the laughter the sound of footsteps hurrying across the room made Anna glance to the right and she immediately grinned.

A small boy, around 10 years old, with pale skin, messy black hair and wide dark eyes was running towards her with his arms outstretched. She crouched down and opened her own arms to him. With a happy cry he leapt up into them. Anna picked him up and swung him around, the smile on her face bright. "Hi, Olaf! Still like warm hugs, I see."

The little boy grinned up at her. "Anna! Warm hug!"

She laughed. "I already am hugging you, silly!" She squeezed him tighter though anyway.

Kristoff cocked his head, eyeing the little boy with mild curiosity and the slightest bit of apprehension. "Who's this little guy?"

"This is Olaf, a regular in the visitor's lounge. As you can clearly see, he loves warm hugs." Anna grinned affectionately at the little boy whose eyes were currently trained upwards, distracted by the gentle swirling of the ceiling fan. Anna knew from experience that he had a habit of doing that, so she wasn't concerned. He loved the ceiling fans, loved the way the blades swirled around like a merry-go-round.

Olaf's story was actually very sad. Mr. Oaken had told her all about it one day after the boy had come up to her asking for a warm hug and Hans had scared him away. It made Anna absolutely furious, and she'd been very close to smacking her brother for that one. As Olaf had sniffled in the corner, Anna sent Hans to his own corner as punishment. While the angry and embarrassed young man stood silently in the corner, Mr. Oaken had told her a story that almost made her start bawling on the spot.

Olaf was on the spectrum, that's how Oaken had described it. Basically that meant that he had certain traits reminiscent of autism, but his symptoms weren't so severe as to really require special, educated care. Obviously there were things he needed help with, the most obvious being his speech, but in all honesty Anna thought he was a perfectly fine the way he was. He was always happy and it wasn't hard to make him smile, but if you upset him he wasn't shy about showing it. He was a smart little boy too; he could read well and knew how to work a computer better than half of the orderlies did. But there was something even more special about Olaf besides his tendency to ignore instructions and giggle uncontrollably if he found something funny.

Not only was Olaf on the spectrum, but he was also deathly allergic to sunlight. If he stepped outside, his skin would immediately erupt in an angry red rash and Mr. Oaken had told Anna that Olaf was hospitalized many times when the little boy was still in his single digits. When the large man then told Anna that summer was Olaf's favorite season, it felt like someone had just stabbed her straight in the soul. How cruel could the world get?

'_But, why institutionalize him? There's nothing you guys can really fix, that's just how he is!' _That's what the redhead had said. And she'd been livid when Mr. Oaken smiled down at her sadly.

'_Olaf was a ward of the state, and Arendelle's orphanages are not equipped to handle such a feisty little lad with such serious medical concerns. It's best that he remains here, ya? We can care for him and teach him as good as we can until maybe one day a family comes and gives him a forever home.' _

Anna had immediately rushed to Olaf's side, crushing him in the warmest hug she could give. Her eyes had misted over, her nose red as she sniffled, trying to hold back obnoxious sobs. She made Hans stand in the corner for the rest of her visit, and spent the next hour coloring with Olaf. The one time Hans had complained Anna had sent him such a stone-cold glare that he immediately turned back around and didn't dare speak up for the rest of the visit. When Anna finally decided to head home she made her brother promise to leave Olaf be, threatening to reacquaint him with the corner if he ever made the little boy cry again. She even left without hugging Hans goodbye, which she never did.

"Anna! Who that?"

Anna blinked in surprise, shaking her head free of the memories. She glanced down and saw that Olaf was staring curiously at Kristoff now. An idea popped into her head and her lips curled up in a Cheshire cat grin. "This is Kristoff." She waggled her eyebrows at the little boy. "And he _loves_ warm hugs."

Olaf's dark eyes lit up and he turned back to Kristoff with a grin, wriggling in Anna's arms. Kristoff's eyes widened and he opened his arms just in time to catch the squirming little boy, saving him before he tumbled out of Anna's arms and onto the floor. Olaf giggled happily, grabbing onto Kristoff's loose T-Shirt and pressing his face against the stocky boy's chest.

"Warm hug!" he shouted, voice muffled from the fabric.

Kristoff swallowed, hesitantly reaching up to ruffle the boy's hair. Olaf raised his head and smiled in response. " Kristoff, down!"

The blonde boy immediately obliged, gently placing Olaf back on the ground. When Olaf waved goodbye Kristoff grinned shyly and waved back, while Anna fought to hold back the adoring coos that wanted to break free. But when the little boy tried to run back to his table and resume his coloring, Anna's eyes widened and she called out for him to stop. With his dark hair falling in his eyes, Olaf turned around and cocked his head, curious.

Anna put her hands on her hips authoritatively. "Olaf, aren't you forgetting something?"

The little boy looked puzzled for a moment, before his eyes widened in understanding. One hand shot up in the air in another wave, this one directed at Kristoff. "Thank you!" Anna nodded proudly and Olaf ran back to his table, immediately resuming his coloring.

Hans, who had been silent the whole time, cleared his throat. Kristoff turned to him first (Anna was still admiring Olaf's cuteness), and his eyebrows lifted unconsciously.

Though Hans' face was blank, his hands were clenched into fists, his posture stiff.

Kristoff's eyes narrowed, concern growing in his honey-amber eyes. "Everything alright, man?"

Anna turned back around immediately, concerned. Within the second it took for her to do so, Hans' posture relaxed and his fists unclenched. He looked completely normal again by the time Anna's eyes were back on him.

"What's wrong?" she asked curiously.

Hans shook his head, smiling softly. "Nothing! Now come on, we've missed enough of the tournament as it is. Kristoff, be a bro and get us some drinks from the vending machine, alright? You know what we like."

Kristoff rolled his eyes, already forgetting about the odd way Hans had been looking at Olaf. It was probably just his protective feelings toward Anna maximized because he wasn't out in the real world to _really_ protect her. _Guess he's just overcompensating. _"Sure, I'll be right back."

The blonde fished his wallet out from his back pocket and headed out into the hall. Anna watched him go for a moment, still curious as to what she missed, but finally shrugged and followed her brother over to the couch. As she sat down beside him she noticed for the first time that, across the room, the orderly who had escorted Elsa out to see her the other day was standing before Mr. Oaken. The two were talking animatedly, the older woman looking rather sad while Mr. Oaken just looked at her with sympathy.

Suddenly her brother poked at her shoulder. "Anna, you've got to watch this guy. I swear he's such a bad liar that even you'd be able to notice!"

Anna whipped her head around to glare at her brother. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

Hans smirked at her and once again ruffled her hair, laughing when Anna growled and sought revenge upon his own auburn locks. "Come on Anna, you know you're a bad liar! And you've certainly never been able to tell when someone else is."

"I am so _not _a bad-"

"Yeah, you so are." Kristoff interrupted from somewhere behind her. He was back with their drinks, Coke, a water bottle, and a root beer for himself. He sat down on Anna's other side, tossing Hans his coke. "Pretty sure Olaf over there would make a better lie detector than you ever could."

Anna rolled her eyes, huffing as she snatched her water bottle from his hand. She wasn't actually mad; in fact she was quite content. It had been so long since the three of them had been together like this. Her lips twitched up at the corners as her boys got comfortable and all three of them settled back into the couch.

Just as she went to take her first sip from her water, she caught a snippet of the orderlies' conversation.

"…_stiff as a statue… always-"_

"…_didn't even… hug them back-"_

"…_should have seen the mother."_

Anna paused, water bottle halfway to her mouth. Slowly, she turned her head, curious to hear more. Unfortunately, the sounds of the poker tournament were drowning out the rest. Her brows pulled down together, forehead creasing with worry.

_They can't be talking about Elsa… can they? 'Stiff as a statue'? There's just no way… not Elsa! Elsa's such a sweetheart. She probably loves seeing her parents!_

Anna was completely ignoring the tournament now, desperate to catch more of their conversation. She was practically leaning halfway over the couch.

Hans noticed, and bumped her shoulder with his. "Anna, are you paying attention? This is the biggest pot so far, and there were two aces in the flop! This is gonna be good!"

Anna nodded distractedly, "Yeah, yeah I'm-" It was too late; the older woman had just heaved a great sigh and was leaving the visitor's lounge. Anna frowned, turning back around to sink into the couch. She sighed.

"...I'm paying attention."

* * *

><p><strong>You guys are so sweet, making sure I consider w<strong>**ork first. Don't worry though, homework's all done.**

**Honestly, I have no idea where these updates are coming from. And I swear, the ideas are multiplying like rabbits in a rabbit love motel. Because, you know, those things totally exist.**

**What, you wanna know what those ideas are? Well, the only thing I'm going to say is this: invest in replacement hearts. Because the ones you currently have might just give out, and I'm not about that second degree murder life. Anywho, thanks again to my lovely reviewers, I'm happy to know that you're enjoying yourselves.**

**Love to you all!**

**-Cel**


	6. Chapter 6

The sound of her bedside alarm clock blaring woke Anna from her blissful (though snore-ridden) slumber. Moaning like a dying animal, the redhead curled in on herself, burrowing into the sheets. Maybe if she curled up into a ball tight enough, she'd somehow magically be able to block the sound from winding its way down her ears and into her sleep-deprived brain.

Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be.

For some reason though, even after Anna had risen from her memory-foam-lined grave and slammed an angry hand down on top of her alarm clock, she still heard ringing. Turquoise eyes blinked wearily, still misty from sleep. Why was the world still ringing? Was it an echo? When she shook her head back and forth there was no difference, so it wasn't the remnants of her alarm clock still wreaking havoc on her ear drums…

All of a sudden her eyes snapped open, and she was wide awake. "The phone!"

Leaping out of bed and nearly tripping as her foot got tangled in the sheets, Anna raced down the hallway into the living area of the two-bedroom apartment she called home. The phone was in its stand on the kitchen counter, probably on its last ring. Anna took advantage of the fact that she'd worn socks to sleep and slid across the wooden floor, snatching it just as she was sure the ringtone was starting to die.

She continued to slide, gripping the edge of the counter to change course and turn into the kitchen, bringing the phone up to her ear without even bothering to look at the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Hello. This is Gerda Thorssen from the Arendelle Institute for the Emotionally Unwell. Is there a Miss Anna Christian there?"

Anna stopped immediately, both hands coming up to grip the phone as fear laced through her heart. Why was the institute calling? Had Hans done something? Gotten into another fight? "Y-Yes, that's me. Is, um… is everything okay? Is there something wrong with my brother? Oh god, that was a stupid question, of course there's something wrong with him I mean, why else would he be institutionalized, right?" She chuckled nervously, unconsciously reaching for one of her braids to twirl. It always had been a nervous tic of hers, something she did to distract herself.

"No no dear, your brother is fine. This isn't…" Anna heard the woman sigh. "Well dear, this is actually more of a personal matter. I'm sure one could call it business related, but… do you remember this past Saturday? When you asked to see the Ice Queen?"

Anna blinked, confused. "Um, yes? Oh!" Recognition lit up in turquoise eyes. "Were you the orderly that came and brought Elsa to see me?"

Anna couldn't tell, but on the other end of the line Gerda smiled. It was the first time she'd heard a person outside of the girl's own family use Elsa's true name in a long, long time. "Yes dear. You see, I called you today to ask for a favor, though I realize now that you young people aren't usually up and about at this time of day. I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Nope, but my alarm clock did."

Anna heard the old woman chuckle. "Well Anna, before I ask this favor of you I have a few questions. If that's alright, of course." When Anna made an affirmative noise she could hear the orderly take a deep breath. "First: what led you to visit Elsa that day?"

Anna's brow furrowed. She jumped up to sit on the kitchen counter, crossed her legs and thought for a moment. "Well, the _official_ reason was to apologize for my brother's rude behavior. But just because I've apologized doesn't mean I won't visit again. I kinda find Elsa adorable, if that's not rude or totally weird to say. I like talking to her. She's really sweet, y'know? There aren't really a lot of people who can stand my incessant rambling."

There was silence from the other end, but before Anna could apologize for her possibly overstepping a boundary the second question was asked.

"My second question then. Are you aware that Elsa hasn't said a word in over ten years?"

Anna frowned, fingering the fraying edge of her flannel pajama pants. Ten years? She could barely go ten _minutes_ without speaking. "No, I-I'm not."

"Does this bother you?"

Anna's answer was immediate. "Well... only because I know something bad must have happened to her. I mean, ten years? People don't just stop talking for no reason. Thinking about that sort of makes me sad but... I don't really need her to speak. The fact that she doesn't talk doesn't make her like, less of a person or anything. So far I've been able to guess what she's feeling, plus Elsa's such a sweetheart and-"

Gerda's voice cut her off, and quite curtly at that. "A sweetheart who, up until recently, has also refused to acknowledge the existence of other living creatures for as long as she's remained mute?"

Anna's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, my dear, that since the day she was first brought to us, Elsa Helland has in every way embodied the title of 'Ice Queen' she is so often referred to by. She has never once made direct eye contact with any of us, and actively avoids physical contact with everyone. Every friendly overture by both staff members and patients alike is ignored, and I have never once seen her smile. Even when the girl's own parents come to visit her, they are treated like complete strangers. She is far, far worse than a simple case of selective mutism."

Anna's eyes had grown wide with disbelief; the hand that had been playing with the hem of her pant leg was now clenched atop her thigh, the fabric bunching up. "B-but," she stammered, "that's not the Elsa I know at all! I mean… I've seen her smile, I've touched her!" Heat burst in her cheeks as she realized what she'd just said. She smacked a hand to her forehead, hiding her eyes even though no one was around to see her embarrassment. "Oh no, n-not like that, definitely not like that! Actually, I don't think Elsa ever really meant to touch me, that might have just been an accident!"

_My god, I had no idea it was that bad! It's like we're talking about two completely different people! Oh no… what if she has that weird multiple personality disorder thing? What if all I've been getting is the weird, inner child side and her real personality is this so called Ice Queen that everyone else sees? Or wait, what if it's the opposite?! What if Elsa's inner child is her real personality and this Ice Queen thing is just like, a defense mechanism or something? Oh my god, that totally makes sense! But then again… what the heck do I know about psychology?_

The sound of gentle laughter filled her ears. It was Gerda's voice, kind once again. "I know that, Anna. That's why I've called you."

The hand fell away from her face, dropping into her lap as confusion made it's presence clear on Anna's face. "Wait, what?"

"My third question to you, Miss Christian, is this. Would you like to help Elsa?"

* * *

><p>Anna had to keep telling herself that running across the school parking lot just because she was excited to go and visit a friend at a <em>mental institution<em> was definitely _not_ okay. In fact, it was probably better if the school gossips didn't get their hands on such juicy information at all. They already knew about her brother, they didn't need any more reason to talk about her behind her back.

So instead of running she settled for a brisk walk, purse strap clutched in one hand, textbooks in the other. Sophomore year was thankfully going easy on her; she wouldn't have to spend more than an hour or two on homework tonight once she got back from visiting Elsa.

_Elsa_.

The thought of the shy blonde gave birth to a tiny little grin, but truthfully Anna didn't know how to feel about her current situation.

She'd told Gerda 'yes' without hesitation. Of course she wanted to help Elsa, if she could. She just wasn't sure that she, you know… _could_. Ever since Gerda had told her how bad Elsa's condition really was, part of her was worried that the sweet, shy girl she'd met was just a dream. She was terrified that when she went to the institute today she'd find herself not in the presence of a fellow chocolate lover, but the institute's Ice Queen. She didn't want that. She didn't want to see those bright blue eyes to stare blankly at the floor, or a spot over her shoulder. She didn't want Elsa to ignore the chocolate bar Anna had stuffed in her bag just for the occasion.

She also didn't _want_ to be nearly knocked to the ground when a tall, muscular body shoved past her, sending her books flying.

"Say hi to Hans for me, would ya sweetheart?" Anna glared at the tall ginger who'd basically tried to sideline her, angry eyes narrowing. His own blue ones narrowed right back, a cruel smirk on his lips. He was glaring at her from over his shoulder as he continued to walk away, so he didn't see the tall, curvy brunette who'd stepped right into his path, arms crossed.

When the newcomer cleared their throat though,_ loudly_, the football player stopped in his tracks. "Oh, uh… Meg! What, what're you doing here?"

Anna, curious, stood up on her tiptoes, trying to see past the massive boy's obnoxiously large frame.

A voice sarcastic and yet so sultry at the same time (Anna couldn't help but picture a jungle cat on the prowl), was heard across the parking lot. "Seriously, Wonder Boy? Picking on little girls now? Is that what they call 'manhood' in that tar pit you oafs call a locker room?"

'Wonder Boy,' true name Hercules, tried to stutter out an apology, but the brunette brushed right past him. Her lavender eyes zeroed in on Anna, who felt the start of a blush rise in her cheeks. The other girl was wearing skin-tight, white jeggings, leather boots with a feminine cut that came up just under her knees, and a deep purple sweatshirt with holes cut along the shoulders. Her lips were painted a deep red, and curled up slightly at the corners in the barest hint of a cat-like grin.

She stopped in front of Anna, giving her quick once-over. Her expression was faintly interested, eyes curious. Her gaze then dropped to the ground, narrowing at Anna's books which had been scattered around her. Without a word, the other girl leaned over to pick each one up, Anna standing by too shell-shocked to do anything but stutter out a 'thank you' when they were finally handed back to her.

The brunette smiled at her. "The name's Megara. Sorry about Wonder Boy, he's been a little sore ever since I ended things between us." Megara stuck out her hand, which Anna promptly took with a grin after only a moment's nervousness. Megara's brows shot up in surprise at the strength of Anna's handshake, not expecting such a shortie to have such a strong grip.

"My name's Anna. And don't worry about it," she leaned around the other girl to send another glare Hercules' way. "I've dealt with worse."

Megara chuckled, a faint smile curving her lips. "Good to know. Well, _Anna,_ see you around. Try not to bump into anymore jocks, I've heard they steal brain power through physical contact." With a careless wave, Megara headed off in the opposite direction, back towards the school. "Oh!" All of a sudden she turned back around. "I don't know how Hans is doing, but I hope he feels better soon. He was the only one on the football team I could stomach." This time when Megara turned to walk away she didn't turn back, and Anna smiled softly at her retreating figure.

_Wow. I guess there are still some people at school who remember what a great guys Hans was. Is._

When Anna turned back around, she wasn't surprised to see Hercules storming off towards his own car.

With a shake of her head and a roll of her eyes, Anna did the same. She threw her books into the passenger seat and found an acceptable radio station to listen to. In no time at all, she was off to the institute.

Off to see Elsa.

* * *

><p>Anna's fears had all been for nothing.<p>

When Elsa first saw her sitting at their table in the visitor's lounge, her blue eyes were positively aglow with happiness. The blonde had stood in the doorway shyly for only a moment before quickly walking over to her seat. Anna looked over the blonde's shoulder and sent Gerda a confident smile before the old woman retreated into the hall. Oaken gave her a reassuring thumbs-up before closing the door to his office to give the two some alone time, as per Anna's request. She'd called ahead and asked what day would be the most likely to have a visitor-free lounge; she figured it'd be easier for Elsa to feel secure if it was just Anna in the room with her.

Before Elsa sat down the pair followed through with their routine of waves and smiles, Elsa's still timid, Anna's always sincere.

"Afternoon, Elsa!" Elsa nodded in response, her other hand fiddling with something behind her back, before she sank into her seat. Anna had seen it though, and called her out on it. "What's that you have with you?"

Elsa blushed. Her eyes were shy when they met Anna's, but Anna only smiled back at her, happy to wait. Elsa bit at her lip for a moment before her hand came out from behind her back. She was holding a piece of paper, folded neatly four times. She stared down at the paper, forehead creasing as the blonde seemed to have some kind of internal debate. When Elsa glanced back up, Anna cocked her head curiously. A moment of silence followed before Elsa sat up suddenly, thrusting the paper across the table towards her. Her eyes had shut tight, too afraid to meet Anna's gaze.

Anna was only pleasantly surprised. "For me?" She waited to take it though, watching for confirmation from the blonde. When one topaz eye opened to peek at her nervously, Anna did her best to keep the 'ohmygodIcan'tthisgirlisadorable' from showing on her face. Instead, she kept her expression calm and patient. And when Elsa nodded almost imperceptibly, Anna immediately smiled. "You don't have to be scared of me you know, I promise I don't bite," she teased as she sent the blonde a wink and reached out to take the paper from Elsa's hands.

This time their skin didn't touch.

Elsa's eyebrows came down slightly, the barest hints of disappointment flickering in her eyes. She hesitated before bringing her hands back across the table, setting them stiffly in her lap.

Anna on the other hand, was positively ecstatic. Elsa had made something for her! When she tried unfolding the paper to see what it was however, Elsa's eyes widened and she leaned across the table, hand clamping down on Anna's own, effectively preventing her from revealing the paper's secrets.

The redhead was quietly surprised for a moment before giggling. Her voice took on a teasing tone. "I guess I should open it later, then?" Elsa's lips curled up in a nervous smile. She nodded once, eyes never leaving Anna's, who stared back at her before shrugging. "Alright! Here, let me just put it in my bag, I have something _I_ want to give _you_."

Anna gently withdrew her hand from Elsa's grasp, who was now slowly leaning over the table to try and see into the redhead's bag. Anna just grinned at her eagerness, slipping the still-folded paper into her purse and finding her own present for the blonde.

"Tada!" Anna held out another Hershey bar, only this time it was the special dark kind. "I figured we should learn which chocolate is your favorite chocolate, so when I start bringing you truffles I can guess at which ones you might like better."

Elsa paused with her hand halfway across the table, a baffled expression on her face. Anna blushed under the stare. _She has no idea what you're talking about, doofus. _

"Well, see when I was young and my parents were still around they used to take me to a chocolatier all the time. Every time we went they'd let me try a different truffle. The chocolate chef guy, who always somehow managed to be working when we visited, told me that a person's favorite truffle is kind of like a secret fortune. Like a horoscope, you know? I don't know, I figured it might be fun to try… to help me get to know you better?"

Elsa was silent. She with drew her hands and looked down at her lap. When Elsa's eyes screwed shut and her jaw clenched Anna feared that she'd crossed some sort of boundary. All of a sudden Elsa shot up out of her chair, running straight to the nearest window. Anna leapt up immediately, though she was unsure of what to do next. Quiet filled the room.

_Did I say something wrong? Was I being too forward? Man, I totally was. Good going, Anna._

A quiet sniffle broke the silence. Anna's eyes snapped to Elsa's figure, and what she saw made her heart leap up into her throat.

The blonde's shoulders were shaking. It was barely noticeable, but it was there. Instinctively, Anna went to her side, her expression cautious.

Elsa wasn't even looking out the window. Her eyes were shut tight, eyelashes glossy with tears that had yet to fall. One hand was covering her mouth, the other folded across her stomach. Anna frowned and lifted a hand up to comfort her, but hesitated when she remembered what Gerda had said to her about Elsa's apparent dislike of physical contact. She thought for a moment, biting her lip, before she turned back to the table. She walked back as quickly as she could and picked up the chocolate bar. She tore open the wrapping and broke off a square. Returning to Elsa's side, she held it out the blonde, waiting patiently for Elsa to realize.

It didn't take long. The chocolate had barely begun to melt before blue eyes opened, slightly red from her crying. Her head turned towards Anna, hand falling away from her mouth to reveal a beautiful, grateful smile.

Anna surprised, stood frozen for a moment before smiling back.

Elsa reached for the proffered chocolate, taking it delicately from Anna's hand, this time making sure that their fingers brushed against each other's. As she brought it up to her mouth, Anna broke off her own square. The two stared into each other's eyes and, without knowing how, it was like Anna suddenly understood everything that was going on in Elsa's head.

_She wasn't crying because she was sad. She was crying because she's happy. Happy that she's found a friend._

Simultaneously, the two popped their respective squares into their mouths. Chewing slowly, Elsa let her gaze wander over Anna's face, admiring every adorable freckle. When the redhead swallowed, her eyes followed the column of Anna's throat, admiring the pale skin.

She almost didn't notice when the girl she was busy staring at asked her a question.

"So? How is it?"

Forgetting that they were talking about chocolate, Elsa smiled.

_Beautiful._

* * *

><p><strong>I'm starting to think that this story is an actual physical thing that's taken over my body. I'm totally okay with it.<strong>

**But wow guys, over 100 followers? Damn, you guys keep mama's heart pumping. FOR NOW.**

**-Cel**


	7. Chapter 7

Anna adopted a new routine rather quickly. She went to the institute on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays to see her brother. They'd either watch a tournament (or a cheesy Lifetime movie if Anna begged hard enough), go outside for walks, and on rare occasions Hans tried to teach his little sister how to play poker. She was terrible at it, but every time Hans laughed at her attempts to bluff she couldn't get angry. The way his eyes lit up, it was just like they were innocent kids again.

Kristoff usually came with her on Fridays, because afterwards the pair of them would get dinner and spend the night at her and Hans' apartment playing video games. She was a pro at Wii baseball and it was absolutely hilarious when Kristoff attempted to play Just Dance with her, but the moment the blonde boy tossed her a PlayStation controller she was doomed. She was getting better though, slowly; Kristoff almost had to try when they faced off in Soul Caliber. Hans was definitely going to be impressed when he came home, impressed and proud. Her older brother loved video games, especially the long, convoluted ones with epic storylines. Those were the ones Anna actually enjoyed watching him play, though they tended to be a bit graphic at times.

Wednesday however, was Elsa's day.

They'd had three days together so far. The first, when Elsa had broken down into tears, had been the most emotional. The last two had been more casual, though Anna counted them just as important. Elsa was far more sure of herself now than she had been when they'd first met. Eye contact between the two had become almost constant, and though the blonde girl was still adorably shy Anna had begun to notice little things that betrayed her growing confidence.

Instead of scrunching her shoulders up to her ears, stiff as a board until Anna did something to prove that yes, she did in fact enjoy Elsa's presence, when the blonde sat down at their table the only sign of her uncertainty would be her how arms folded loosely across her stomach.

Instead of clinging onto her braid like it would somehow protect her, when she was nervous or embarrassed Elsa would just fiddle with the ends of it. On one occasion though, in an act of such utter preciousness that Anna actually had to take a moment in the hallway to avoid scaring Elsa with her squealing, the redhead had told Elsa the cheesiest joke she could think of and her jaw dropped when Elsa had (instead of using her hands like she normally did) dragged her braid across her lips to conceal her silent giggles.

It had almost made her heart give out. But then again, a lot of the things Elsa did seemed to do that.

Like during her second visit when Anna had told her they were going to make snowflakes for Elsa to hang in her room.

'_Hi Elsa! Hope you don't mind, but I've planned a little project for us! See, I was inspired by this…' _and Anna had held up the beautifully made snowflake Elsa had drawn for her. The first thing Anna had done when she'd gotten into her car after her first visit was open the carefully folded piece of paper Elsa had silently made her promise to open later.

When she saw what had been drawn on it, she couldn't help the awed 'oh wow…' that escaped her. Elsa truly was a spectacular artist with extreme attention to detail. It had easily been the most intricate snowflake she'd ever seen, every single line sharp and crisp. She couldn't even begin to name the shapes that twisted and interlocked within the snowflake's six main spires, let alone imagine how such a timid girl like Elsa could have such a confident hand. It was probably prettier than any natural snowflake that would ever fall, ever.

But still, there was something about real, tangible snowflakes that you just couldn't beat. Right then and there, Anna's face split had into a grin. The following week, she'd bought a big packet of multicolored paper, even splurging on a collection of different glitters, and two pairs of kindergarten-grade scissors with her to the institute along with some string and tape. She'd cleared it with Gerda beforehand, of course. It wasn't like she could just bring sharp objects into a mental institution without some kind of permission. She was just thankful no one else ever seemed to come for visits when she was with Elsa; the two usually had the lounge to themselves.

It was all worth it when she saw the blush light up Elsa's cheeks when she held up the gift Elsa had given her. Anna grinned before folding the paper up very carefully and putting it away in her purse. She then set the bag of supplies on the table and grinned. _'Today we're going to make some real snowflakes!'_

At first, Elsa had been confused. She'd stared at Anna blankly. The look on her face clearly said _'How do we make snowflakes out of paper?' _So Anna had motioned for her to sit down, grabbed a piece of white paper, and set to work. As Elsa watched in fascination, Anna folded the paper, grabbed her scissors and just started cutting. Swirls, diamonds, any random shape she could think of. When she was satisfied, she grinned in Elsa's direction and opened her creation.

The look of child-like wonder that lit up those blue eyes, along with Elsa's jaw nearly hitting the table, made Anna giggle. Elsa had immediately lunged for a piece of sky-blue paper and knocked the glitter off the table and onto the floor, not even realizing it as she immediately started working. Anna couldn't hold back her laughter. Elsa didn't even notice, she was so excited.

And Anna couldn't help but stare, smiling softly.

The blonde girl's brows were narrowed in concentration, tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth. Her eyes were intensely focused, her hands a blur as she cut out what seemed like hundreds of little diamonds. Then, as a blind hand reached out for where the glitter had been moments ago, her concentration suddenly broke. Her eyes had flicked upwards, tongue disappearing as her lips drew into an adorable little pout. Where had the glitter gone?

When Anna had giggled, Elsa looked up, blushing. She was still determined though, asking with her eyes. Anna had brought a hand up to shoulder height and wiggled it at the floor, one eyebrow coming up in a teasing glare. The blonde girl had blinked once, leaning over to look down at the floor beside the table. Seeing the glitter bottles (thankfully still closed) spread about in disarray, Elsa's free hand immediately flew up to cover her mouth, the other still clutching her unfinished snowflake.

Mortified, Elsa had glanced at Anna out of the corner of her eye.

Anna had just rolled her eyes playfully, getting up to retrieve the fallen bottles. Elsa had shot up a second later, hurrying to help her. The pair kneeled on the floor together, picking up bottles and putting them up on the table. Elsa's eyes found the bottle filled with silver glitter, the one she'd wanted before, and she smiled as she reached for it. When Anna's hand came down on top of it a second before hers did, she froze. Anna noticed her tense up, and looked at her curiously. She glanced back down at the bottle for a moment and understood. She offered it to Elsa. "I'm guessing this is the one you wanted?"

Blue eyes met hers and Anna smiled reassuringly. Shyly, Elsa took it from her. There was skin-to-skin contact again this time and Elsa smiled at the touch, though it lasted only for a moment. Before she could embarrass herself any further, Elsa reclaimed her seat and set to work on glittering up her snowflake. Anna followed her lead, this time grabbing a green sheet of paper (because it was her snowflake and it could be any color it wanted).

After a few minutes, Elsa gently knocked on the top of the table. Anna looked up and her jaw dropped.

_And I thought the one she _drew_ was gorgeous._

Elsa was biting at her lip again, nervous. Waiting for approval. God, Anna didn't even know why she needed it. The creation she was holding in her pale hands was breathtaking.

It made Anna's look like the work of a five year old.

"Oh my god, Elsa... you're like, the Michelangelo of snowflakes." The corners of Elsa's mouth curled up slightly, red coloring her cheeks. "Here, want me to tie it up for you?" Elsa nodded excitedly, extending her hands out so Anna could take it. Anna gazed at the paper creation reverently, holding it like it was a living thing as she cut a short length of white string and took great care to use as little tape as possible when attaching it. When she was done, she held it up by its new hanger, and the two girls watched it spin slowly between them. "This is seriously almost as gorgeous as you."

The serene smile disappeared from Elsa's face, her eyes flying wide open as her heart jump-started in her chest. Her entire face lit up in a bright blush and her head slammed against the tabletop, arms coming up to cover it as though she was in the middle of an air raid. She proceeded to stay in that position for a solid seven minutes.

Anna had, of course, promptly swooned the second she was sure Elsa hadn't hurt herself.

'_It should be illegal for someone to be this cute,' _she'd thought at the time. And even though it was cute, Elsa's shyness was baffling at times. Anna wasn't used to people being so unsure of themselves, and treading lightly had never been one of her strong suits.

After Elsa had recovered enough to properly hold a pair of scissors in her trembling hands, they'd spent the next hour or so making more. When Anna had to call it quits and head home, Elsa quickly gathered all of the snowflakes Anna had made. Her own she promptly forced into Anna's hands, cheeks as red as roses. Anna had protested, trying to make her keep at least one, but Elsa's face was turned to the floor and she fled the lounge without a second glance, holding Anna's snowflakes close to her chest.

Gerda had only chuckled at the look of utter confusion on the redhead's face, promising to give the blonde the raspberry truffle Anna hadn't had time to give her.

Last week's visit hadn't been all that eventful, but it was still enjoyable. It was hard to spend time around Elsa _without_ enjoying herself.

The two had abandoned their usual table for the day, instead making themselves comfortable on the couch in front of the TV. Anna had checked the channel guide that morning, and a marathon of one of her favorite shows was going to be on. So, when she'd gotten to the institute she asked the smiling blonde if it was okay if they spent the day just relaxing.

Elsa had nodded without a moment's hesitation.

Anna had immediately settled onto the couch in a comfortable slouch, but at first Elsa sat with rigidly straight posture. After a while though she had begun to shift, and at first Anna didn't pay it any mind. But when she felt Elsa's pinky brush against hers she glanced to her left to see Elsa attempting to mirror her position. It was clear she was struggling though, her expression uncomfortable, and Anna could tell the other girl wasn't used to such an… unladylike pose.

Grinning mischievously, Anna turned her attention back to the television. After a moment, she slipped her pinky into Elsa's. The other girl's skin was cold, but soft. "Just relax," she said. "You don't have to prove anything to me. Sit the way you want."

Elsa was silent for a moment before she began to move again. This time when she got comfortable she didn't actively try to slouch, merely leaned back into the softness of the cushions with a spine still relatively straight. Her pinky then tightened around Anna's. For the next few hours, the blonde girl had sat with an utterly content smile on her face, happy to listen to Anna ramble on and on about the show, the characters, all of it.

When the marathon ended two hours later, Anna had stood up to stretch, unaware of Elsa's blue eyes watching intently, pupils dilating just a fraction when the redhead's shirt rode up past her jeans and revealed the tiniest sliver of bare skin.

Yawning, Anna turned back around just as Elsa's eyes flashed back up to her face. "So Elsa, what'd you think of the raspberry one? Gerda gave it to you, right? Like she promised?"

Elsa nodded. She didn't appear overly excited about it though, and when Anna raised a brow in her direction she merely shrugged. The redhead's brows knit together, frowning. "Hm. Should've guessed it wouldn't be that easy. Oh well!" She'd sat back down on the couch and reached into her purse, retrieving a small bag that this time contained a milk chocolate truffle with vanilla filling. "Try this one next. It's vanilla."

Elsa had smiled and reached for the bag, moving to open it right away but Anna laid a hand on top of hers, stopping her. Frowning slightly, Elsa looked back up at her with confusion in her eyes. "You can't eat it while I'm here, silly! I'll only be able to tell which one your real favorite is when your eyes light up as you remember it. If you eat this one later, and next week I ask you how it was, you'll have to really think about it. You'll have to remember how you felt when you ate it, and if it's your favorite you'll be so excited that I'll be able to tell."

The blonde appeared to actively think about her logic before nodding solemnly. Anna had grinned back and stood to leave. Elsa had stood too but remained silent behind her. The redhead said goodbye and started to leave, but something in the silence made her stop. When she glanced over her shoulder she saw Elsa staring sadly at the floor.

_Is she sad to see me leave?_

Anna frowned, turning back around to take the few steps back to Elsa's side. She heard the paper of the bag crinkle and glanced down to see Elsa's grip tightening.

Without thinking, Anna held up her right hand. Elsa glanced up at her, curious. Anna just continued to stand there, surely looking like a weirdo but somehow not really able to care. Blue eyes moved to her hand then, and with a will of its own one of Elsa's own pale hands came up, slightly shaking. She pressed it against Anna's lightly, breath hitching at the contact.

Anna smiled, and intertwined their fingers. "Hand hug."

Elsa cocked her head, staring at their intertwined hands.

Anna kept her grip firm but gentle. "I'll be back next week Elsa, I promise."

And Elsa believed her. Her eyes, happy and bright, smiled at Anna even though her mouth still betrayed her sadness at Anna's departure. The blonde tightened her grip slightly, squeezing Anna's hand, before reluctantly pulling away.

This time when Anna left she was confident that the blonde would stay content until her next visit. And when she came back a week later, this time bringing a book her friend Belle had recommended to her a while back, she asked Elsa what she'd thought of the vanilla truffle.

Another shrug. A roll of Anna's eyes. Another truffle, this one flavored with orange zest.

She'd keep trying until she found the right one.

* * *

><p><strong>You guys. Are seriously. Awesome. I woke up four hours after I posted the last chapter and it had like, 20 reviews. I was grinning for the rest of the day. <strong>

**Seriously. Awesome. Mad awesome.**

**-Cel**


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey, Anna!"

Anna's ears perked at the sound of her name and she turned to glance over her shoulder. It was Megara, waving at her from across the parking lot. Today was a Friday and school had just let out so, as per usual, the redhead was headed out, hoping to quickly be on her way to the institute before all of the idiot jocks blocked up the parking lot with their cars.

Sending the brunette a happy smile, Anna waved back but continued walking towards her own car. Meg frowned upon seeing this and jogged to catch up to the younger girl. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

Anna sent her a curious glance. "Um… to see my brother? It's Friday, and I always visit him on Fridays. I thought I told you that."

Ever since that incident in the parking lot a couple of weeks ago, Anna had often seen Megara in the halls or hanging around school grounds, skipping classes. Whenever the brunette saw her she'd grin and come over and the two would talk. Meg would ask her about her classes, and sometimes about how her brother was doing. She also frequently teased her, wondering aloud how the redhead didn't explode from always being so responsible. Anna would tease her right back, asking her just how she managed to get away with skipping class or talking back to teachers.

'_Everyone loves a rebel, short stack,' _she'd say with a wink. And the two would laugh, and that was it. It was never anything more than casual conversation. They were acquaintances, at best.

Megara had certainly never run after her before.

"Oh right… wait, you were serious? Every single Friday?"

Anna rolled her eyes. They'd made it to her car, Meg still right at her side, arms crossed. "Yes Megara, I-"

The brunette narrowed her eyes. "How many times have I told you to just call me _Meg._ Jeez…" Something in the other girl's voice made Anna pause, hand halfway to her car door. When she looked at Meg again her lavender eyes were downcast, the barest hints of a blush dusting her cheekbones. "We are friends, aren't we?"

Anna stood completely still for a moment, surprised. _Friends? _She had to admit, the thought of it made her chest fill with warmth. Taking a quick peek at Meg's still embarrassed face, she grinned before she sighed dramatically, shaking her head. She then raised her hands up in surrender. "Fine, I give up. So… _Meg,_ what can I do for you? Other than hold back from teasing the school's self-appointed rebel for getting all flustered because I won't call her by her nickname, I mean."

And all of a sudden the confident, haughty Megara she knew was back, chin up with one hand cocked on her hip. Now her eyes were narrowed playfully, a smirk curling those red lips. "'Self-appointed'? Please, everyone in this school knows I'm the greatest thing to happen since they put the pocket in pita. Even the teachers know it, that's why they don't talk back when I tell 'em to shove it."

Anna looked puzzled for a moment, crossing her arms and bringing a hand up to her chin. "You don't say… everyone knows? I must not go to this school then. That's weird, I could've sworn I did…"

Meg scoffed, giving Anna a light shove as the redhead giggled and tried to dodge the blow. "Whatever, you cheeky little… ah, forget it. So… every Friday, huh?"

"Yep. Kristoff usually comes with me but he's out sick, so today it's just me."

Meg cocked a brow. "Just you, huh?" She regarded Anna quietly for a moment. "And what does 'just you' plan on doing when she gets home?"

Anna frowned, mouth falling open to let out a continuous 'uhhhhhhhhhh' as she tried to come up with a response. Somehow she got the feeling that if she told Meg she was probably just going to go home and spend the night on the couch watching movies, she'd probably get yelled at for being a waste of teenage youth. But she also had no reason to lie and say that she had plans, either. Did she even want plans? Usually when she got home from visiting her brother she was left feeling mentally drained, so the thought of her wonderfully soft couch was usually a dream come true. Still, there had been times in the past when out of nowhere she'd feel incredibly lonely. She'd curl up into a ball and try to burrow down into the couch as far as she could, the sounds from the TV turning into senseless noise.

She hated those moments.

She gave up, staring at Meg helplessly. The brunette rolled her eyes and held out her hand. Anna stared at it blankly. The sight caused Meg to snort, trying to hold back a laugh. God, Anna was way too cute for her own good sometimes. "Give me your phone, weirdo."

"Uh, okay?" Anna reached into her bag and retrieved the small device. "But why do you need my-"

Meg snatched it from her hand, ignoring Anna and turning away when the redhead immediately shouted 'Hey!' and tried to snatch it back. She swiftly punched in her number and didn't hesitate to add her signature winky face to the end of her name, grinning as she hit 'save'. Turning back around, her eyes widened slightly at the sight of Anna glaring at her with her arms crossed. The redhead was pouting.

_Pouting._

And it was _adorable_.

The brunette was helpless. She averted her eyes but couldn't fight the eye-crinkling laugh that slipped past her lips. "Put the pout away, Gingersnap. One day you're going to kill someone with that thing." She tossed the redhead her phone, who yelped as she caught it, then almost dropped it, then caught it again. "Do me a favor and text me when you're home, alright?"

Anna looked up at her, curiosity shining in her bright, turquoise eyes. "Why?"

Meg grinned. "Because we're going to hang out." When Anna tried to protest she silenced the girl with crossed arms and a stern glare. Her face immediately softened however, when Anna winced and seemed to shrink in on herself. She sighed, and reached out to lay a comforting hand on the other girl's shoulder. "Anna, you can't spend every day putting other people's needs before yours. You need some time to yourself, and I don't mean sitting at home, alone. You need friends, Anna. People you can count on to be there for you and show a good time. So just… text me, alright? We'll go get coffee or something and talk about anything we want. Anything _not_ involving your brother, or the institution."

Anna could only nod shyly, blushing as her eyes fell to the pavement. Meg's heart went out to her; the truth might have been hard to hear, but it needed to be said.

Meg had been watching her for a while now, ever since they'd met in the parking lot that day. Even though Anna was easily one of the prettiest, friendliest, and most charming people in school, she was almost never seen talking to anyone but the boy who may as well have been her second brother, Kristoff. Sure, many of the school's social ladder higher-ups no longer wanted anything to do with her because of what her brother had done, but Meg had overheard some of the other girls at school talking about how sad it was that Anna always seemed too distant and distracted to be approached.

It was unfair. Such a dazzling young woman deserved so much more than the role of simple caretaker to a brother with issues he should have been working out on his own. Sure, Anna would probably never see it that way, but it was the truth.

Part of her wondered why she cared so much about a scrawny little redheaded dork that she barely knew, but one look into those bright eyes and she was helpless. She had to help, had to get Anna smiling again. She knew that Anna's presumed responsibility for her brother's wellbeing was the biggest source of stress in her life, and didn't leave her with a lot of free time. So Megara had made it her mission to assimilate Anna back into some semblance of a healthy social life.

And she'd be damned if she didn't do a hell of a good job doing it.

* * *

><p>Elsa stood by the window, hands pressed up against the cool glass. Her breath came in short puffs, fogging up the window as she kept her eyes trained on the small fraction of the parking lot she could she from her room. From where she was, she could easily see the double doors that made up the entrance to the institute, and most of the parking spaces immediately surrounding it. If she wanted to, she could lean forward, twisting her neck to see more.<p>

She'd been standing there for ten minutes.

Elsa bit her lip, the only sign of her impatience. When she saw the main door open she tensed, waiting.

But a moment later she heaved a great sigh when she saw that this person was not Anna, and let her forehead fall against the glass. Her eyes slid shut, disappointment rife across her pale face.

_Where are you?_

She'd been doing this for weeks now, waiting at her window every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 4:00 pm. It was laughable really, laughable and a little disturbing. She'd stand there for what felt like forever, in reality probably only about ten or so minutes, trying desperately not to blink should she miss the slightest glimpse of red hair that was her reward.

_Anna…_

Her fingers curled, hands tightening into fists.

She supposed she should be thankful though. At least she had a routine now. Before their treasured Wednesdays had started, Elsa would find herself spending hours standing at the window, waiting, hoping she would be lucky enough to see the one thing that brought light into her life with her mere presence.

_Anna._

Topaz blue eyes opened back up, determined. She straightened her posture once again, and resumed waiting. Surely Anna would be coming any minute now; surely she'd had enough of pretending that her brother was still worth her time.

Elsa scowled.

Her brother. Hans.

That boy was an animal, a rabid, possessive beast, snarling at anything that got too close to its master. His obsession with his little sister was understandable (Elsa was many things but a hypocrite was not one of them), but his manipulation of her trust in him was just disgusting. The moment her smile left the asylum, Hans' face would grow hard and cold, green eyes seething with anger. Swirling like snake venom. He'd already started three horrible fights with other patients, putting a young man with monstrous anger issues named Adam in the infirmary for a week.

Sure, no one could prove that it was actually him; he was too clever for that. By starting a riot in the courtyards he'd been able to choose a victim seemingly at random and move in for the beating, letting the chaos around them distract the orderlies when they finally came to tear the fight apart. He'd been able to get away unscathed, twisting his face to look just as horrified as all the innocent bystanders so that no one would suspect him.

Elsa knew it was him though. It was always him. He was the reason she couldn't see Anna all the time, he was the reason that Elsa only got to have her _one _day out of every week.

And she hated him for it.

But then again, if it wasn't for Hans, then Elsa would never have met Anna. If he'd never been institutionalized, then Anna would have never come anywhere _near_ the institute. That thought scared Elsa enough to keep herself quiet. It would be oh so easy for her to write out a detailed description of all the horrible things Hans had done to some of the other patients that would surely make him lose his visitation rights (or better yet get him thrown in isolation), and slip it under an office door where an orderly would find it. But if Anna couldn't see her brother, then why bother coming to the institute at all?

Elsa might never see her again.

And she couldn't let that happen.

…she'd miss her too much.

The doors were opening again. Elsa froze. Her heart started hammering in her chest. Was it her?

The reverent smile that lit up the blonde's face a moment later confirmed it. Blue eyes followed Anna across the parking lot, trailing over every inch of the girl's body. The redhead was smiling, which only made Elsa smile wider.

_She's happy. That's good..._

She watched as Anna got into her car, the redhead pausing to pull out her phone. Elsa had to remind herself that normal people today usually had those. Elsa cocked her head when Anna stared at the screen for a minute or so before putting the tiny device away. When the car finally started up Elsa tried to keep the disappointment from crushing her as she watched it pull away, though she had no qualms about letting it show on her face.

Her eyes slid shut again. Wednesday was so far away.

But still… Anna had looked happy. Not quite as exhausted as Elsa could always tell she was after a visit.

That thought made her chest fill with warmth. Pressing a hand to her still rapidly-beating heart, Elsa made her way over to her desk and sat down. Grabbing a pencil, she turned to a fresh page in her big black sketchbook, the one she'd only recently started using. Her other books lay in a neat pile on the edge, temporarily forgotten.

Casting a glance upwards at the sloppy, multi-colored snowflakes that dangled from the ceiling, Elsa breathed in deeply, bit her lip, and began to draw.

* * *

><p><strong>WHICH OF YOU LITTLE DEVILS POSTED ABOUT THIS ON TUMBLR.<strong>

**I DEMAND TO KNOW WHO IT WAS.**

**SO THAT I MAY HUG THEM.**

**But then again, all of you wonderful people deserve hugs, so... I guess we should start queue up?**

**(Seriously though, the fact that you guys think this is tumblr-worthy is blowing my frickin' mind. I love you all.)**

**-Cel**


	9. Chapter 9

Anna was thoroughly enjoying her new-found closeness with Meg. The pair had spent most of the weekend together; on Friday after she'd visited her brother she'd texted the brunette like she promised she would and within ten minutes of arriving back at home Meg was calling her. _'Come downstairs, Gingersnap.' _Rolling her eyes at the pet name, Anna had obliged and hurried down to the main lobby of her building.

Meg had been waiting for her, arguing with the doorman (a young man named Jim Hawkins whom Anna had seen a few times, usually getting yelled at by his mother who also worked in the building) about something. When she'd walked over to Meg's side the brunette had grinned and thrown an arm over her shoulder. "Anna agrees with me, don't you Anna?"

"Uh, yes?"

Jim had rolled his eyes. "Whatever, lady. We both know I'm right."

Meg replied with a scoff. "Absolutely not, you little-"

Anna intervened, bringing her hands up in a defensive gesture to quell the tension. "Whoa whoa whoa, what are you guys even arguing about?"

"We're not arguing, we're having a civil conversation about our favorite rides."

Anna blinked. _Rides? _"You mean, like… Merry Go 'Rounds?"

The two brunettes had just looked at each other before bursting out into laughter. Heat flared in Anna's cheeks, shoulders scrunching up to her ears. Meg used her free hand to wipe a non-existent tear away, still chuckling as she looked down at Anna's red face. "No Gingersnap, not like Merry Go 'Rounds. We're talking about something a little bit… faster." She grinned devilishly, pulling Anna in the direction of the door. "Come on, I'll show you what I mean."

Anna could only follow along, still embarrassed. _Well how was I supposed to know they weren't talking about amusement park rides… what other 'rides' could they be talking about?_

When they finally made it outside, Anna understood. Her jaw dropped at the sight of a deep purple motorcycle parked at the curb. "Don't tell me that's…" She trailed off, unable to form words.

Meg was looking at Anna, smirking at the look of utter awe on the redhead's face. She turned back to the bike with a proud smile, walking up to place a hand on the seat, stroking it lovingly. "Yep, this is my lover. 2013 Yamaha FZ6R, custom paint job." She threw a leg over her bike, settling into the seat before grabbing the helmet that had been hanging off the handlebars. She then held it out to Anna, chuckling when the redhead pointed to herself, mouth still hanging open. "Oh come on, don't tell me you're scared-"

Before she'd even finished Anna's face had split into a wide grin and she'd snatched the helmet out of Meg's hand. Lavender eyes blinked in surprise, hand still outstretched as she felt Anna mount the bike behind her, excitement radiating from every inch of her body.

"Scared?" she exclaimed, "No way! I haven't ridden one of these in _forever!"_

Meg turned to meet Anna's excited turquoise eyes with an excited smile of her own. "I didn't know you rode! You totally don't seem like the type."

"Well, I mean I've never ridden a _real_ motorcycle before. But when we were younger, Hans and I would visit my cousin Rapunzel at our uncle's ranch and ride their ATV's all over the place. I always left Hans in the dust, which is something I will absolutely _never_ let him live down. But yeah, ATV's. They can't be all that different, right?"

And once again Meg's grin turned devilish. "Oh Anna…" She retrieved her own helmet but paused before putting it on. "There's a _world_ of difference." Grinning at the challenging smirk the redhead had sent her, Meg put her helmet on and soon had the engine purring like the world's sexiest house cat. "Hang on," she shouted over the roar, "it's about to get fast up in here."

Gentle warmth settled in her abdomen as Anna's arms wrapped around her waist. She grinned when she caught Anna's excited whisper.

"I _like_ fast."

And soon the world was flying by, the bike spurred on by Meg, who was in turn spurred on by the delightful sound of Anna laughing, positively ecstatic. The redhead was still grinning when they'd sat down at the coffee shop twenty minutes later, Meg having taken the long way around so she could enjoy the feel of having Anna pressed up against her back, warm arms wrapped around her. It also succeeded in loosening Anna up, which had been Meg's true goal.

"So, I'm guessing you enjoyed the ride?" Anna nodded immediately, still smiling. Meg chuckled, looking up when the waiter came over to take their drink orders. She ordered coffee, and cocked a brow in Anna's direction when the redhead ordered hot chocolate. "Hot chocolate, really? What are you, four?"

Anna snorted. "Please. I'm a connoisseur."

"Of what? Child-like behavior?"

"Of _chocolate._ If we're going to be friends, the first thing you need to know about me is that I love chocolate. Like, a lot. Like, if I had a scale of the most important things in my life, chocolate would probably be up there with Hans and sleeping."

Meg laughed. "Good to know where your priorities lie. Alright, well if we're talking about favorites, then here's what you need to know." She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, grinning. "I love music. It's my life. In fact, the only reason I come to this coffee shop is because one of my favorite local groups, The Muses, performs here every Saturday. I also can't go without my daily dose of sarcasm, otherwise I shrivel like an old woman."

"Somehow I doubt that's true."

"Has a day ever passed that I haven't been sarcastic?" Anna rolled her eyes but shook her head 'no'. "Then how do you know it's not?"

Anna raised her hands in surrender, Meg grinning triumphantly. After a few minutes of exchanging random trivia information about each other, their drinks were brought over. The brunette merely nodded when her coffee was placed before her, but Anna gave a grateful 'thank you' to the girl that brought their drinks. The first thing Anna did was whisk some whipped cream off the top of the beverage, licking it off her thumb and humming in delight. Meg smiled softly and proceeded to load her coffee up with sugar.

Seriously. She poured packet after packet into the steaming mug, unaware of Anna's eyes on her.

Anna couldn't help but grin. _For such a 'rebel' she sure has a sweet tooth._

After Meg had poured what looked like six packets of sugar into her drink, she finally noticed Anna staring. Her cheeks turned pink, swirling a spoon in the coffee as refused to shy away from Anna's teasing eyes. "What?"

"For someone who just made fun of me for having a sweet tooth, you sure do seem to have your own."

Meg shrugged nonchalantly (though the effect was slightly ruined by the fact that she was still blushing), bringing the mug up to her lips to take a sip. Anna did the same, careful to avoid getting whipped cream on her face.

Turquoise eyes wandered around the café, still enjoying her liquid chocolate as she admired the simple décor. There was a small stage over in the corner, and she guessed that was where the band Meg had mentioned performed from. Most of the chairs were occupied, a good mixture of people populating the room. She actually recognized one or two people from school; she guessed this place must have been popular. Anna's face went blank as she continued to stare, though after a while she had stopped truly taking anything in. She felt... odd.

"What are you thinking about?"

Anna jumped, almost spilling her hot chocolate as she turned back to Meg with the mug still up to her lips. Meg immediately brought a hand up to her mouth to hide her laughter, and Anna blushed. Putting the mug down, she glared at the brunette half-heartedly before her shoulders sank. "I don't really know, actually. I mean, I feel kinda out of it… like I'm supposed to know this place or at least have heard of it. You come here all the time, I see a few other people from school here, and... it makes me think that I'm supposed to have a place. A place where I go to unwind. Only I don't." Her eyes were downcast now, staring at the table top as her hands clenched into fists in her lap. "When Kristoff and I hang out, it's always at the apartment. When I leave the apartment, it's either to go to school, run an errand, or to visit the institute."

Her eyes shut. _God… how did it take me this long to realize? For the past three months my days have been a cycle of school, Hans, and sleep. Obligations._

(Oddly enough, her visits with Elsa were left out of this generalization).

_I love my brother, I really do, but…_

"Anna." Her head shot up. Meg's eyes widened at her appearance. Without a word she stood, grabbing Anna's hand and dragging her to the bathroom. Anna stuttered out questions as she was pulled along, but Meg ignored her.

Anna couldn't see her face, but the brunette was absolutely livid.

She pulled Anna into the bathroom without a word, bringing Anna over to the sinks as she quickly checked each stall. When she was sure no one else was with them, she locked the bathroom door, a hand trailing slowly down the wood.

"…I knew it." Anna narrowed her eyes in confusion. Meg turned back around, her own eyes now sad. She walked slowly to Anna's side, hesitating before cupping the girl's cheek. "Anna, you're crying."

Anna's eyes widened and she brought a hand up to her face. Her cheeks were wet. She turned to look at herself in the mirror, and a quiet sob escaped her. She _was_ crying.

"B-but, I don't…"

Meg pulled her back around, thumbs brushing away the tears that she could reach. She looked incredibly sad. "I knew it. I knew this was taking its toll on you. God, Anna… you're only sixteen! You're supposed to be going out and having fun, not forcing yourself to grin and bear the brunt of your brother's problems." She pulled the redhead into a hug, arms wrapping around her shoulders protectively. "I'm not letting you do this anymore. I can't let you be alone."

Anna stood frozen for a moment, tears still streaming down her cheeks, before her eyes screwed shut and she buried her face against the taller girl's shoulder. She clung to Meg, quiet sobs escaping her.

For so long, she'd been pretending she was okay. That she was fine with the way her life was. That she didn't want to cry every time she left the institute and came home to an empty apartment. That every time a football or a cheerleader passed her in the hallways at school it was easy for her to just look away and ignore the menacing glares they sent her.

Apparently, after three long months, she just couldn't do it anymore.

Meg held her tighter, happy to let Anna use her as a teddy bear. "We'll find you a place. Hell, _this_ can be your place if you want it to be. Tomorrow The Muses are playing again, and you're coming with me to see them. If you so much as mention Hans or the institute, I'll clock you one. No arguments."

And there were none.

After Anna had finished crying, Meg had taken her home. With a quick hug and a threat to tear down Anna's door if the redhead dared to ignore her calls the next day, Meg drove away. Anna had watched her go, a grateful smile on her face.

The next day Meg came over early to help her get ready.

'_You wear your hair the same way every day, Gingersnap. I'm fixing it.'_

'_But you wear your hair the same way every day too!'_

'_Because it makes me look sexy as hell. Listen Anna, resistance is futile, so just sit down.'_

And when Anna walked through the café doors, auburn hair down with gentle waves curling through it (Meg's work), she blushed at the attention she immediately received. Half the room had turned to give her appreciative glances. A boy from school that she recognized even wolf-whistled at her from one of the far tables. She wasn't used to the feel of her hair down, and as she fiddled with the ends of it Meg had rolled her eyes and pulled her over to a table near the stage.

The band had come out soon enough, and when they did Anna giggled at the excitement that lit up Meg's face.

The two spent the next four hours surrounded by happy, shouting people, bobbing their heads to the music, laughing, and trying to sign along when certain songs demanded it. Well, Anna tried; Meg already knew all the words.

It was the most fun she'd had in a long, long time.

Neither Hans, nor the institute had crossed her mind once.

And now that it was Wednesday, she couldn't wait to tell Elsa about it. Yawning as she walked through the halls to the visitor's lounge, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket.

Pulling it out, she grinned when she saw she had a text from Meg.

'_Dad's trying to tell me I should quit it with the attitude. Told him he should quit it with the mustache.'_

Giggling, Anna typed out a quick response. _'I don't know, I think your dad might be on to something…'_

The redhead put her phone on silent then and dropped it into her purse. Elsa deserved her full attention. And speaking of Elsa, the blonde was already in the lounge waiting for her. When she saw Anna she beamed, standing up and crossing the room to greet her. Anna's own steps quickened, excited to see the other girl. They ended up meeting in the middle, and Elsa held up her right hand. Anna didn't hesitate to press her own against it, a blush warming her cheeks when Elsa immediately slid her pale fingers between hers, squeezing softly.

Her smile grew tender as she watched Elsa stare down at their intertwined hands, the softest and happiest of smiles lighting up her face.

_I don't think I'll ever get over how beautiful she is._

"Hi, Elsa. Miss me?"

The blonde nodded enthusiastically. Anna leaned in to whisper conspiratorially, "So, the salted caramel. How was it?"

Elsa blushed at her sudden proximity, her grin morphing into something that managed to be both nervous and excited at the same time. Anna was disappointed when all the blonde had to offer was another shrug. She sighed, disappointed, before straightening back up. "Oh well. There's still plenty more where that came from. First, why don't we sit down?"

Elsa nodded, and Anna was surprised when the blonde began pulling her over towards the couch. _That_ was a first. Elsa had never before been this sure of herself and for her to take the lead in their interactions was a bit of a shock to Anna's system.

As if sensing her surprise, Elsa turned to glance at the redhead, faltering when she saw the look on Anna's freckled face. But Anna sent her a reassuring smile and after a moment the blonde smiled back, shyly, before once again facing forward and continuing on. When they reached the couch Anna saw Elsa's sketchbook, tiny and blue, resting on one of the cushions. Ever since Anna had gushed over how excellent an artist she thought Elsa was, the blonde brought it with her to their visits, happy to draw whatever the redhead requested if it got a smile out of the girl.

Which it always did.

Anna plopped herself down, Elsa slightly tripping as she followed, trying to keep their hands locked together as she fell into the seat beside her. When Anna sent her a curious glance however, Elsa shied away, releasing the redhead's hand and cradling her own against her chest, the other coming up as if to shelter it. Anna frowned.

"Elsa, if you wanted to hold my hand all you had to do was ask."

Elsa's eyes snapped to hers, an even mix of disbelief and hope shining in them. Anna smiled tenderly, holding her hand back out, palm up. Elsa looked down at it with an odd sort of curiosity in her eyes as her hand slowly reaching back out, fingers all of a sudden shaking. Instead of grasping Anna's hand right away though, the tip of a single finger brushed down the length of the redhead's palm, stroking the skin softly.

Anna shivered.

Elsa noticed.

Eyes quickly glancing upwards to gauge Anna's reaction, she did it again, this time applying more pressure. All of a sudden Anna was nervous, and she had no idea why. The way Elsa was looking at her… was she teasing her? The tiniest of smirks now graced Elsa's features, so that may have been a plausible answer…

…but the way the blonde was biting her lip was not.

"E-Elsa?"

Suddenly brimming with a confidence Anna had never before seen, Elsa's other hand came up to grip hers gently. That one single finger continued its lazy strokes, now following the lines on Anna's palm and tickling the skin.

All the while Elsa was watching her.

Unfamiliar warmth had begun to grow in the pit of Anna's stomach. She was almost sure her face was red, because all of a sudden the room was way too hot… but the skin of Elsa's hands was still cool, and the sensation was completely throwing Anna for a loop.

"I-I… um, I don't-"

But all of a sudden there was a finger against her lips, shushing her. Elsa was once again holding her hand, their fingers intertwined. There was a cat-like satisfaction in the other girl's eyes, and Anna found her own gaze falling to the floor, unable to take the intensity. She could feel the tips of her ears burning.

Elsa turned to grab her sketchbook then, flipping to a page before holding the book up for Anna's inspection.

Just like that, Anna was back to normal. "Aw!" She gushed, "It looks just like him!"

During her last visit Anna had shown Elsa a picture of Sven, the reindeer that Kristoff looked after for his family. Eyes narrowing down at the phone screen, Elsa had only studied the picture for a minute or two before handing Anna back her phone, her face serious as she nodded like a soldier ready for war. Now, a week later, here he was, immortalized on paper.

Elsa released Anna's hand to gently rip the page from the book, folding it in fours before handing it to Anna. Anna took it gratefully, sliding it into her purse just as Elsa grabbed her hand again. She grinned at the adorable way the blonde continued to smile at their intertwined hands, the confident creature she'd seen minutes ago replaced for the shy girl Anna was used to.

The peace of the moment was broken however, when an orderly rushed in. The force he threw behind the door forcing it to rebound against the wall with a loud bang, and the two girls looked up. Mr. Oaken, who'd been sitting quietly at his desk, immediately stood. The orderly who'd come in looked terrified, and out of breath. "Mr. Oaken," he said between gasps, "come quick, sir!"

What he said next made Anna's blood run cold.

"It's Hans!"

* * *

><p><strong>...I feel like this is the part where you guy start hating me.<strong>

**...sorry not sorry.**

**-Cel**


	10. Chapter 10

Elsa's heart stopped.

_No… no! That, that _barbarian_. Of all times… how dare he!_

Anna had shot up the second she heard her brother's name and Elsa couldn't hope to keep their hands intertwined. The redhead looked terrified, and even though Elsa was absolutely livid that her idiot brother _dared_ to interrupt their time together, she couldn't help the sadness that filled her at the sight of seeing Anna in such a state.

_Anna…_

"W-what's going on? What's wrong with my brother?"

The orderly's eyes snapped to meet Anna's and he froze. "M-miss Christian, why are you…?"

Anna, with shaky steps, rounded the couch and all Elsa could do was sit and watch, anger curbed by the intense fear roiling in the pit of her stomach as her hands clenched into fists in her lap. Her mind was running on a constant loop of _'what's happening what's he done Anna please don't leave Anna please stop don't cry'_ and she was helpless to stop it. The redhead spoke again, this time her cry far more desperate. "_What's wrong with my brother?!"_

Elsa's gaze turned to the orderly then, eyes narrowing when she saw the man's hands clench at his side. He looked incredibly uncomfortable. The orderly clenched his jaw and ignored her, once again turning to Mr. Oaken. "Please Oaken, there's no time to explain. You have to come with me at once!"

Mr. Oaken sent Anna a worried glance but hurried to the orderly's side. The two men nodded to each other and, without a second glance at the girls, hurried down the hallway.

Some part of Elsa's mind thought that maybe, just _maybe_ Anna would let it go, sit back down and take her hand again. That they could go on with their visit. That Anna would just let the orderlies handle it and wait to find out what her (idiot) brother had done. That she would just shrug and smile, then proceed to tell Elsa all about her week and how happy she was to see her (something that always managed to bring fire into the blonde's cheeks).

But the larger part of Elsa's head, the unselfish part, _knew _Anna. So she wasn't surprised when it only took the redhead an instant to give Elsa the sorriest, most apologetic, teary-eyed smile anyone could ever give, before chasing after them.

Hands clenching so tight she felt her nails prick the soft skin of her palms, Elsa watched her go, jaw clenched tight. Her eyes followed suit as she tucked her chin in close to her chest, entire frame curling in on itself and shaking in anger.

Tears. There had been tears in Anna's eyes. Anna's bright, kind, and beautiful eyes.

And they were Hans' fault.

Blue eyes snapped open, and in a moment Elsa was up and moving through the doorway just in time to see Anna's red hair whip around a corner. Fists still clenched, Elsa ran after her, furious with herself (and not for the first time) that she couldn't just _call out_ to Anna and tell her to wait for her. To let her catch up.

_But I can't. Because I'm a coward. You're a coward, Elsa. You've gotten so used to being wrapped up in your head that you couldn't get more than five words into that letter you tried to write her before you ripped it up and spent an hour crying like a baby. Over a letter. _

_I don't deserve her. Her life's stressful enough without me in it, sucking up whatever sunlight she can spare like a needy little weed._

…_god, I wish I could just get _over_ it. I hate how helpless I make myself! _

_I want to be able to tell her all the reasons I need her to stay… but, at the same time I just can't let her know how I really feel, she'd be disgusted! It could ruin everything, and I don't think I could ever be happy if I never got to see her smile at me again._

The thought actually caused her to stumble, tripping over her own feet as all of her anger was suddenly replaced by terror. Anna couldn't find out. She couldn't. She needed to keep herself in check, keep their interactions innocent and sweet, for Anna's sake.

But Elsa was losing control of herself, she could feel it. She'd been far too forward in the lounge earlier. Playing with the other girl's hand… to any other person in the world her intentions would have been obvious. Anna though, was different. Anna was too sweet, too innocent to ever realize what she'd been doing. The blonde was just fooling herself when she thought she felt Anna's breath hitch, thought she saw her eyes grow hazy.

_Oh god, her eyes…_

The familiar jolt of heat between her legs forced her own wide eyes shut once again. As she ran blindly a hand came up to clutch at her head, painfully gripping a fistful of platinum locks.

_No. No! Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, _don't_ feel. Conceal, don't feel!_

* * *

><p>Anna was running. She wasn't thinking, wasn't aware of the fact that there were tears once again threatening to spill over, the only sign that her heart was in utter turmoil.<p>

All she could do was run, because if she dared to try and let her head run wild with all of the possible scenarios she'd find her brother in she'd surely drive herself insane. So instead she focused on Mr. Oaken's back just ahead of her. Adrenaline had heightened her senses and she could hear him breathing heavily, could hear the orderly just in front breathing even harder. And as they began to approach yet another corner, panic gripped her as she began to hear what sounded like animalistic snarling.

As well as the sound of flesh impacting with flesh.

Holding back a sob, she surged forward past Mr. Oaken and the orderly, deaf to the large man's cries for her to stop. When she rounded the corner, she couldn't believe what she saw.

It was her brother.

Beating the living _crap_ out of another boy.

Hans sat astride a large brunette of a similar age, though the boy's face was hardly recognizable as her brother threw punch after vicious punch with no end in sight. Left, right, left right; with each blow the boy's head would snap from side to side, blood flying from both his face and Hans' fists.

The snarling she'd heard moments ago?

Her brother's voice.

"You." Left. "Don't." Right. "Talk." Left. "About." Right. "My." Left. "_SISTER!"_

And with a murderous grimace contorting his face, Hans raised both fists above his head, hands locking together. Just as he was about to bring them down on the other boy's head, Anna screamed.

"_Hans!"_

He froze.

There was utter silence in the hall.

Slowly, green eyes turned to meet hers, and Hans immediately looked terrified. "A-Anna…" he whispered, "Why are you… I-I don't…" his eyes were wide with confusion, dazed and glassy as he tried to process that his beloved little sister was here before him, seeing him covered in another human's blood.

Mr. Oaken flew past her, gripping Hans by the shoulder and wrenching him away from the boy he'd beaten into a bloody pulp. His back hit the wall, hard, but he didn't even seem to care. Hans slid silently down the concrete, slumping against the floor. His eyes found hers again and Anna brought both hands up to cover her mouth, eyes burning.

He looked just like he did three months ago. His eyes were angry and confused, the bags shadowing them more pronounced than ever. There were flecks of blood on his face, and his fists were absolutely covered in the stuff.

The three elderly female orderlies that had been standing on the other side of the fight (who Anna was only now noticing) jumped into action. They rushed to the beaten brunette's side as Mr. Oaken looked down in anger. He turned to stare at Hans and moved to stand before him. "Hans, what is the meaning of this?"

At the sound of another person speaking his name Hans' eyes widened and he jumped up. "I-it wasn't my fault! I swear! That, that kid just came at me out of nowhere, and at first I was just defending myself!" He almost looked like he was about to cry, his hands shaking and his eyes wild.

Mr. Oaken regarded him silently. "At first?"

Hans nodded feverishly. "Yes! I wasn't trying to hurt him, I-I called for help and I tried to get away b-but…" his eyes narrowed, and his hands stopped shaking. Once again they curled into fists. "But then… he _dared _to… he, that monster-"

The blood-soaked brunette laughed from his spot on the floor. The three orderlies had managed to pull him into a sitting position and one was gently trying to staunch a wound above his eyebrow that was bleeding profusely. The male orderly who'd come to alert Mr. Oaken was standing cautiously behind them, ready to grab the boy if he tried to start another fight. "_You're _the real monster here. And if you hadn't gotten that cheap shot in right off the bat I'd be _rending_ you limb from fucking limb right now."

Hans lunged forward, but Mr. Oaken held him back. Struggling in the large man's grip, he snarled back, "Oh yeah? You mean like you tried to do to that poor girl?"

The hallway was immediately filled with the echoes of anguished wailing. The brunette's eyes were clenched shut, shoulders shaking as the orderlies tensed. "_It wasn't me!_ It was the Beast! _Why_ does no one believe me? I loved her! Why would I… _how_ could I have done it?!"

Hans' face remained stone-cold and furious. "I don't really fucking care, you psycho. But if you _ever _dare to utter my sister's name again, I promise you that I will go to the ends of the earth to put you in the ground!" He lunged for the boy one last time but Mr. Oaken forced him back, turning him around and slamming him against the wall.

"That's enough Hans. Merriweather, Flora and Fauna, get Adam cleaned up. I'll talk to him later." The three women nodded, helping Adam stand as the boy continued to blubber. The male orderly looked to Mr. Oaken and nodded once when the big man sent him a stern gaze. The orderly quickly followed after them, and Mr. Oaken sighed before turning back to Hans. "I'm afraid you've made big trouble for yourself, boy. Mr. Weselton will be hearing about this. I'm sure he'll have words for you, ya?" Oaken looked genuinely upset over the situation, giving Anna a pitying glance before pulling Hans off the wall though he kept the boy's arms held in vice-like grip.

He was silent for a moment, Hans' attempts to struggle ignored. His usually kind eyes now looked tired and sad. They slid shut and Mr. Oaken was quiet for a moment.

"I'm afraid that your visitation rights are forfeit until further notice."

"_No!"_

Anna and Hans had cried out at the same time, faces a matching pair rife with desperation and fear. Hans renewed his struggles and Mr. Oaken's eyes hardened, strengthening his grip to an almost painful degree. Hans didn't care, so desperate was he to get to his sister. Anna too was desperate, ignoring Oaken's warning and running to capture her brother in a hug.

She was crying now, the tears that had been gathering in her eyes finally spilling over. "Mr. Oaken please, d-don't do this!"

Mr. Oaken called for another orderly and a man quickly came up behind Anna to pull her away, trying his best to ignore the fury in Hans' eyes as he yelled. "Get your hands off my sister!"

As the man pulled her away Anna sobbed, 'no!' after anguished 'no!' spilling forth from between her lips. Hans cried out her name as well as Mr. Oaken dragged him away, kicking out in a desperate attempt to get away, but it was no use. Mr. Oaken kept his grip firm and before she knew it, they turned a corner and her brother was gone.

She continued to stare, hoping against hope that her brother would come running back around the corner… but he didn't.

Eyes clenching shut, Anna sank to the floor, the orderly's grip on her disappearing. She sobbed, unaware of neither the man's footsteps leaving, nor the gentle footsteps approaching.

She didn't notice Elsa drop to the floor in front of her, the blonde girl on her knees as she stared down at Anna with sadness in her bright blue eyes. Elsa watched Anna's shoulders shake, watched her chest heave as the redhead continued to sob violently.

She counted each tear that splashed against the linoleum floor.

And before she could stop herself, Elsa was reaching out a hand and laying it gently on the other girl's head. Her fingers combed through the soft auburn locks gently for a moment before she allowed her hand to slide around to the back of Anna's neck. When red-rimmed eyes looked up at her questioningly, Elsa just smiled as gently as she could.

Slowly, she began to apply pressure to the back of Anna's neck, and before the redhead knew it Elsa had guided her to her shoulder, allowing Anna to press her forehead against the soft fleece of the blonde's sweater. Her other arm came up to wrap around Anna's shoulders, securing her in place. Anna was shocked; Elsa had never initiated such intimate contact of this magnitude before.

But as she felt the sweater start to grow damp from the tears that were still leaking from her eyes they closed again and her sobbing resumed. Her arms wrapped around Elsa's waist and she pulled the other girl close.

Elsa immediately grew flushed from the full-body contact, but even as the voice in her head cried out for her to stop she allowed herself to enjoy the moment. Her eyes closed as she breathed in Anna's scent, still so comforting even as the girl shook and sobbed against her shoulder. The hand that was still wrapped around the back of the redhead's neck moved up to cradle her head, fingers losing themselves once again in the other girl's hair. Instinctively, Elsa began to rock her back and forth, hoping to soothe her cries.

It wouldn't do for Anna to be so sad. Not on what could possibly be their last day together. After all, the thing that Elsa had been fearful of for so long had finally come to pass.

Hans had lost his visitation rights.

…Anna had no reason to come back to the institute.

Tears began to gather in Elsa's own eyes. She clutched at the girl in her arms desperately, pained irises disappearing beneath pale eyelids.

Yes, she would enjoy this moment.

_It might be all I have left._

* * *

><p><strong>So as you guys can see, the fluff is no longer in endless supply. We've entered the heavy-hitting arc of the story... and this is where those replacement hearts are going to start to come in handy.<strong>

**I apologize for not yet replying to all of your wonderful reviews, I will do so later tonight if I have time.**

**Oh, and questions about Elsa's age, Anna's living arrangements? They'll be answered in their own time, don't fret. Just keep on keepin' on, and try not to get too upset with me when my words make the owies in your hearts ;)**

**-Cel**

**P.S. I love how you guys are already giving Meg and Anna their own ship name. Y'all are presh.**


	11. Chapter 11

It took three days for Anna to gather the strength to act like a normal human being again. She'd spent the last 72 hours curled up in a ball on Kristoff's bed (he'd refused to let her sleep on the couch), moving only when the call of nature grew too fierce to be ignored.

After spending nearly twenty minutes bawling her eyes out on Elsa's shoulder, she'd shakily pulled out her phone only to have it slip from her trembling fingers and onto the floor. Before she could reach out to pick it up Elsa moved to do it herself, the blonde's face solemn as she found Kristoff's number and pressed call. Kindly, patiently, Elsa had held the phone up to her ear as words and sobs came tumbling out of her mouth in equal proportions.

Even though the institute was a half hour away from his house, her best friend had promised to be there in ten minutes.

He didn't lie.

While they waited Elsa continued to hold her, tighter than before. The blonde moved both arms to wrap around Anna's shoulders, clutching her fiercely as her cheek pressed against Anna's hair.

If Anna had been in a stable state of mind she would have noticed that Elsa was crying too.

It seemed that the whole institute knew of what had happened, because as orderlies passed them by on their way to fulfill other tasks the pair was left alone. A few ignored them, others sent them pitying glances. When one finally brought Kristoff to them, he too stared at them both with sadness in his brown eyes. Elsa had sensed him approaching and reluctantly released Anna, keeping her eyes closed as she quickly turned away, desperate to hide her tears. Kristoff immediately knelt down at Anna's side, pulling the redhead in close to his body to shelter her.

Before the blonde boy had time to thank her, Elsa had stood and fled, shoulders scrunched up to her ears. Hands tightly clutching her braid.

Tears running in rivulets down her pale cheeks.

Mildly puzzled but too concerned about the state of his best friend to really question the strange girl's actions, Kristoff had helped Anna to her feet and guided her through the halls with an orderly leading the way.

Anna barely remembered the drive home. She barely remembered dragging herself up the stairs after Kristoff told her firmly that there was no way she was staying on the couch. All she remembered was falling onto the bed, wrapping herself up in a cocoon of sheets, and then… nothing.

No one could blame her though. It's hard to remember anything when your mind is busy re-living the worst thing to ever happen to you and not having the capacity to think of _anything_ else.

All she could see was her brother screaming, the wailing of the other boy as he lay in a bloody mess on the floor. Mr. Oaken, telling her she could no longer see him.

All she could see was the blood on her brother's fists, the haunted anger and fear in his bloodshot eyes.

No matter how much she thought about it, it never seemed to stop.

Until that fourth morning.

She woke up from a fitful sleep, eyes blinking wearily, still red from crying. A quick glance at the bedside table and Kristoff's reindeer alarm clock (a gag gift from one of his older cousins) told her it was well into the afternoon, almost 3pm. She sniffled once before rolling off the bed, dragging the sheets with her as she was still unwilling to leave the warm security they offered. Her mind was still somewhat numb, so as she tried to leave the bedroom she couldn't avoid bumping into the doorframe, groaning even as she continued on.

She slowly made her way down the stairs, feet thumping against the wood floor ungracefully.

When she made it to the living room she saw Kristoff sitting on the couch, a spoonful of cereal halfway to his open mouth as he stared at her in shock. "A-Anna?"

She blinked at him once, face blank, before she shuffled over to the brown leather recliner that was essentially her property with the amount of time she spent in it whenever she was over. She fell into it with a tired 'huff,' the blankets still wrapped around her spilling over the armrests of the chair. Anna turned to face the blonde, curling into a ball once again.

"Could I get some of that?"

Kristoff was still frozen for a moment before he jumped to his feet, cursing under his breath when milk sloshed out and over the side of the bowl. "U-uh, I'll clean that just, just say put! I'll be back in a second!" With that Kristoff practically sprinted to the kitchen.

Anna smiled softly, nuzzling the blankets as her eyes fell shut once again. The comforting sounds of Kristoff being a bumbling oaf, knocking things over and accidentally banging things together filled her ears and comforted her. He was back in no time at all, a bowl of her favorite cereal (Cocoa puffs because hello, they made their own chocolate milk) extended towards her with caution. The redhead thanked him and took it, careful not to spill any as she settled into the recliner.

The blonde continued to stand there with his arms raised slightly, as if Anna was a dangerous animal who'd only been momentarily distracted and might at any moment flip out and go for his throat. When Anna cocked a brow in his direction however, he blushed and plopped back down onto the couch, eyes now trained on the TV.

Anna finished her meal in under 90 seconds and immediately extended the bowl towards Kristoff once again. "More, please." The blonde narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. He stood though, moving to the kitchen even as his eyes stayed trained on her for as long as possible. He came back out of the kitchen a moment later holding the entire box of Cocoa Puffs in one hand and a carton of milk in the other. He placed them both on the table next to the recliner and reclaimed his seat on the ouch as Anna prepared a second bowl for herself.

As he watched her take a few bites, kind eyes always patient, Anna gathered the courage to say it all out loud. The spoon clanged in the (already half-empty) bowl and she swallowed.

"…I can't see Hans anymore."

Kristoff's eyes widended. "What?! Why?"

"He got into a fight with another boy. A _bad_ fight. God Kristoff, I still can't believe it… he was so _angry_ and I just, I-I don't know what to think."

"What do you mean?"

Anna took in a shaky breath. "I… I don't know what I'm gonna do now. I don't know how to feel. I mean, it's not like they can keep me from him _forever_, that's gotta be illegal or something. It's just until he's realized what he did was wrong and that he can _never_ do it again. But, part of me is… terrified. I've never seen him like that before! Kristoff, when he had his breakdown I never saw what he did to those boys at school. I never saw him when the police came and dragged him away. The first time I visited him at the institute, sure, he was sad and angry but… it wasn't like _that_."

Her eyes were starting to sting again. She tried to keep the tears she felt gathering locked inside as she put her bowl down on the side table. Kristoff was watching her silently, a flurry of different emotions swirling in his eyes, worry chief among them.

Anna took a deep breath and continued. "But now that I've seen it? Now that I've seen how angry he gets… Kristoff I, I-I don't know how I'll react whenever they finally let me in to see him."

Kristoff's heart clenched at the look of utter despair (and was that shame?) that came over her face, pale from lack of restful sleep.

"W-what if I'm afraid of him?"

Kristoff could only stare at her in stunned silence as another round of tears started to leak from her eyes.

_This girl is literally the most selfless person in the world._

The mere thought that she could even be slightly scared of her brother, even though he'd already proven himself to be dangerous and unstable, was terrifying her. The idea of actually being afraid of her brother, which up until this point was a concept that had probably never even crossed her mind, was suddenly a very possible reality. In her eyes all Hans could ever be was her loving older brother, and she was supposed to love him unconditionally because that's what family was supposed to do. And Hans was the only family she had; Kristoff knew that. So maybe, in a way, she was overcompensating.

But it was still touching to see how caring she was.

"Anna…" Kristoff stood and went to the redhead's side, kneeling down beside the recliner and laying a hand on her shaking shoulder. "It's okay to be scared. The fact that you're scared doesn't mean that you love him any less. Heck, if you're feeling afraid it might not even be because of him. Knowing you, feisty pants, you're probably just scared _for_ him."

Anna sniffled, putting her hand over Kristoff's and squeezing gently. "…I don't feel very feisty right now."

The blonde grinned, reaching up to ruffle her hair before standing. "Well, we can't have that now can we? I say we go pay Sven a little visit; he's been missing you, y'know. And he never fails to make you smile! Remember that time last year when I was teasing you about your freckles and he knocked me into the manure pile? You've never laughed so hard! Come on, what do you say? It'll be like old times, you can even ride him around for a little bit!"

Anna sent him a grateful smile and, after a moment, nodded. Kristoff immediately grinned and clapped his hands together. "Alright! One hefty helping of 'cheer-Anna-up-with-a-little-old-fashioned-reindeer-rodeo' comin' up! Go get dressed and we'll leave whenever you're ready… oh! Almost forgot." To Anna's surprise Kristoff pulled her phone from his jean pocket, looking at her sheepishly before tossing it her way. "You might wanna check that first. Some girl named 'Meg' has been texting you like crazy."

"You looked through my phone?!"

"Hey! That thing's been buzzing nonstop since you got here! I thought I was being a good friend by keeping it charged so you wouldn't miss anything! It's not my fault you've spent the past three days trying to fuse with my mattress!"

Anna huffed, blowing a stray strand of auburn hair out of her face as she pulled herself up off the recliner. She reached for a throw pillow resting against the arm of the couch closest to her and threw it at him before hurrying upstairs, ignoring Kristoff when he yelled after her. "Next time, just turn it off, you weirdo!"

Once again she returned to Kristoff's room, and only when she'd managed to drag all of the blankets back through the door and toss them haphazardly on Kristoff's bed did she take a deep breath and look down at her phone.

…_oh my._

Meg _had_ been texting her. A lot.

From the first day:

'_Hey Gingersnap, up for a coffee run?'_

'_Way to not answer :p'_

The second day:

'_HEY. Did you drop off the face of the earth, or did my cool just scare you off?'_

'_GINGERSNAP. ANSWER YOUR PHONE.'_

(There were three missed calls right before that was sent.)

'_are you at least alright?'_

'_Please just call me whenever you get this'_

And the third day. After three more missed calls.

'_Anna please, you're starting to scare me. No one knows where you are.'_

'_Please just be okay'_

And then two more missed calls.

'_Did something happen at the institute?! Oh my god, PLEASE ANNA call me'_

'_I swear I'm about to call in the SWAT'_

'_Gingersnap if you don't answer me by tomorrow I'm buying a bloodhound and tracking you down myself'_

By the time she was done getting through it all, there was a light blush dusting her cheeks and a shy smile tugging at her lips. She'd had no idea that Meg cared this much… she had to admit, it was nice knowing that she had someone who was so worried about her safety.

Figuring that it was time to put the brunette out of her misery, Anna found the other girl's name in her contact list and called. As she held the phone up to her ears, waiting for Meg answer, she walked over to the duffel bag Kristoff had put beside the bed at some point during her hibernation. She pulled it up and dropped it onto the bed, pulling it open and grinning when she saw a collection of her personal belongings inside.

_Kristoff, you rock._

Just as she was about to reach inside and fish out an outfit, Meg answered.

"ANNA GINGERSNAP CHRISTIAN. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I'VE BEEN?!"

Anna winced, pulling the phone away from her ear. "Yeah um, sorry Meg I kinda-"

"NO. NO NO NO. YOU AREN'T GETTING AWAY WITH 'SORRY,' EVEN IF I CAN PRACTICALLY FEEL YOU POUTING THROUGH THE PHONE. I'm coming to get you. Right now. And you are going to explain to me WHY you thought that disappearing on me for three days was in ANY way a good idea."

"See, here's the thing… I'm not actually home right now but-"

"THEN WHERE ARE YOU"

"I-I'm with Kristoff! I swear! I've been at his house for the past three days and-"

"DOING WHAT"

Anna sighed. "Meg, please. I'll tell you all about it, I promise. Today. Just, come get me at life, five okay? I need to get out of the house for a little while before I'm good enough to see anyone. I'll be with Kristoff the whole time, don't worry, and I'll have him drop me off at home before you get there."

There was silence on the other end for a moment, but when Meg spoke again her voice was infinitely softer. Almost shaky, as though now that all the anger was gone, all Meg had left was the worry and fear she'd probably been feeling for the past three days.

"Okay, Gingersnap. Five."

Anna nodded. "Good. I'll see you at five then."

"…Anna?"

"Hm?"

"…I'm glad you're okay."

* * *

><p>Meg was outside her building at five on the dot. When Anna walked into the lobby she was immediately crushed in a bear hug, Meg scolding her for being reckless even as a smile lit up her face. After a minute she held the redhead out at arm's length, eyes scrutinizing her for the slightest scrape or bruise. Anna only laughed. "Meg, I swear I'm okay!"<p>

Meg scoffed. "I'll be the judge of that. Now come on."

The brunette grabbed her wrist and pulled her along, Anna unable to keep the smile off her face. Meg's bike sat at the curb waiting for them and Meg hopped on first, patting the seat behind her as she handed Anna her helmet. Anna, excited to be on the bike once again, immediately did as requested and wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist, ignorant of the blush it instantly caused.

Within minutes they were off, and even though Anna had no idea where they were going she couldn't really bring herself to care.

…but when Meg pulled up outside an ice cream parlor, she found herself caring _very_ much.

"Oh. My. God."

Meg grinned beneath her helmet. _Yes! Score one for the Greek._ She pulled her helmet off and placed it in her lap, flipping her hair as she turned to look at Anna over her shoulder. "I thought you might say that."

Anna, arms still wrapped around Meg's waist, stared at the building in awe. The logo printed on the red awning read 'Ralph's' and there were what looked like mountains made out of candy painted on the windows. Inside a number of kids could be seen, and of all ages at that.

"I looked this place up online, all of the reviews said it was- hey!"

Anna had jumped off the bike and was running to the door, barely remembering to take her helmet off in the process. "Come on, slowpoke!" she called over her shoulder, spinning around once to flash Meg an ecstatic smile. The brunette blinked before scrambling to follow, turning the bike off and kicking out the kickstand.

Once her helmet was secured Meg hurried after Anna. When she stepped through the door she immediately had to clamp a hand over her mouth at the sight of the redhead positively _bouncing_ as she waited in line behind an old man and the young boy that was with him.

_Kid probably just had a Wilderness Explorer thing; that would explain the uniform. _

She quickly went to Anna's side and without warning the redhead wrapped her up in a hug. "Meg, you are seriously wonderful. Ice cream can totally solve anything! This was the perfect place to go."

Meg was frozen for a moment, arms awkwardly hanging in the air before her eyes softened. She smiled and returned the hug with all the warmth as she could muster. "No problem, Gingersnap. I was planning on bringing you here eventually, but I figured today was just as good as any."

"What can I get for you ladies?"

A frighteningly large man was standing behind the counter smiling at them, his arms like massive pillars of muscle. Meg and Anna stared up in shocked silence for a moment before Anna grinned.

"Gimme something chocolate."

He raised a dark brown eyebrow. "How chocolate are we talking here?"

Anna's grin grew wider. "As chocolate as money can buy."

The big man regarded her suspiciously for a moment before a matching grin spread across his face. "I like you. Anything for your friend?" Anna, who realized she was still currently hugging the other girl, sent Meg a curious glance. The brunette looked over the menu for a moment before settling on a root beer float. The big man, who Meg guessed was probably Ralph, nodded and once they'd paid he told them to pick a table. The pair nodded and released each other, grabbing a table by the window.

Nervous, Meg wrung her hands in her lap as she watched Anna gaze out the window.

_Crap, now what? Do I wait for her to start talking? Or should I ask her about what happened? What if she gets all upset and starts crying? I so can't handle that. _

Just then Anna sighed.

"…Hans lost his visitation rights."

Meg was shocked. "What!? Why?"

Anna's gaze shifted to the table, her mouth falling into a sad frown. "He got into a really bad fight with another patient. He beat him up pretty bad, so now as punishment they're not letting him see anyone. I don't know for how long."

Meg hesitated for a moment before sliding a hand across the tabletop to gently lay it on top of Anna's. "I'm sorry, Gingersnap." And she was.

But just then a small girl with black hair appeared at Anna's side with an enormous chocolate sundae in her tiny hands, and the sadness in Anna's eyes was replaced with utter joy.

"Someone ordered, um… chocolate?"

"Yes! Yes, that's me!"

The little girl grinned before sliding the bowl onto the table, handing Anna a spoon. She turned to Meg then and said, "Be back in a sec with your root beer float."

Meg just nodded absentmindedly, trying to comprehend the amount of chocolate that sat in the bowl sitting not-so-innocently between them. Anna was eyeing it like a predator. "Do you want any?" the redhead asked distractedly, but Meg just chuckled and waved a hand in dismissal.

"As if you would ever let any of that go willingly."

Anna gave her a sheepish grin before digging in, and with the very first spoonful she let out a delighted moan that made Meg's eyebrows shoot straight up to her hairline. She knew Anna loved chocolate but good lord. Meg couldn't help the amused snort that escaped her. A moment later the little girl came back with her drink, which looked deliciously creamy. Taking it with a 'Thank you,' Meg sat and waited for Anna to tire herself out, which didn't take long at all.

Five minutes later the spoon clanged into an empty bowl, and Anna leaned back in her chair, content. She stretched out her arms as a lazy smile grew on her face. "That. Was amazing."

Meg, who'd watched the whole affair wide-eyed, couldn't agree more. "Where do you put it all, Gingersnap?"

Anna giggled. "I keep telling you: chocolate is the food of the gods. You can never have too much."

Meg just shook her head in disbelief before taking a long sip from her drink. When she put the glass down on the table and her eyes met Anna's again, her face was serious.

"Anna, I want to ask you something."

"What?"

Meg hesitated. "Um… I wanted to ask you, about your parents." Anna was silent. "It's just… how can you and Hans be living on your own? You're so young! I... I know that your parents aren't, you know, _around_ anymore... but I don't know why. I'm sorry if I'm overstepping any boundaries, I just… I don't like the idea of you being alone when you're so upset. I know you have Kristoff, but…"

Anna shook her head after a moment, leaning forward to cross her arms on the tabletop. "It's okay. I'd be curious too, I guess. It is kinda weird for a sixteen year old klutz and her brother to be living on their own in this day and age. Honestly I'm shocked that I haven't started any fires or floods or anything." She was silent for another minute before her eyes closed. "Hans and I... we've only been on our own for close to a year now, since I first turned sixteen. Before that, we stayed at out uncle's ranch... the one I told you about? He's actually the one that owns the apartment. He pays the bills, utilities, everything... and he has ever since our parents died." Meg saw Anna's hands clench as her already-closed eyes tried to shut themselves even tighter. "When we were little and it was our parent's 10th anniversary, they got tickets for a cruise. They left us with our uncle and promised us they'd be back in two weeks… but then two weeks came and went. And they didn't come back."

Meg reached over to hold the redhead's hand again. "What happened?"

Anna breathed in shakily, eyes opening to stare blankly at the table. "The ship sank." Meg felt the other girl's hand clench under hers. "They… no one was ever found. It was like the ocean just swallowed them all up. It was… tough. Hans and I were only kids; he was 8 and I was 6. We're lucky we had our cousin Rapunzel to play with us and keep us distracted from all of it… from what my uncle's told me we were kinda hard to be around back then."

_Oh hun, of course you were. You'd just lost your parents._

"So, your uncle takes care of you?"

"Yep. Him and his wife were our godparents, and now they're our official guardians. So as long as our uncle checks in on us at the apartment every now and then, it's totally fine for us to be on our own. Rapunzel comes to visit us all the time too with her boyfriend; she's 22 now. I've gotta admit though…" she paused to smile sadly, "it's been pretty lonely there for a while now."

Meg was silent, eyes slightly misted. She cleared her throat before looking away. "Well, you know… I could, I mean, if you wanted me to… I guess I could, sleep over? Once in a while, you know. Tonight, even! I'm free. That way it'll be... y'know, so it's less lonely?"

Anna's eyes lit up. "Really? But wait, aren't The Muses performing tonight?"

Meg smiled shyly. "The Muses perform every Saturday." She crossed her arms with a haughty smile and leaned back in her chair. "But... it's not often I actually offer to submit myself to the horrors of a sleepover. You should jump on the chance, Gingersnap. You might not get another one." To finish up her little speech she sent the redhead a playful wink. _Totally nailed that. You go, you smooth criminal you._

"Well, yeah! Sure! I mean, oh gosh, the place is probably a mess, and now that I think about it I have to go grocery shopping, and do laundry… jeez, maybe this isn't such a good idea."

Meg laughed. "Too bad, because it's happening. I'll give you an hour to spruce and then I'll come over, alright? Oh and I'll bring over a pizza or something, because I just realized we've basically eaten ice cream for dinner."

Anna nodded enthusiastically and Meg couldn't help but smile.

* * *

><p>Anna was frantically cleaning the apartment. She hadn't realized what a total slob she was becoming, it was honestly gross. <em>Why did I ever think it was a good idea to use the coat rack as a bra-drying device?<em>

She was halfway through vacuuming the floor before she caught the sound of the phone ringing. She turned the vacuum off and grabbed it, accepting the call and pressing the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Anna dear? This is Gerda."

"Gerda? What's up? Hans can't have gotten his visitation rights back already, has he?"

"No my dear, I'm afraid those will stay suspended for quite some time."

Anna sighed, flopping down onto the couch. "I figured. So, why did you call?"

Gerda cleared her throat, and Anna could just imagine the older woman fiddling with her uniform, nervous for whatever reason. "You see my dear, I'm actually calling about Elsa."

Anna shot straight up. "Is something wrong with Elsa?" For some reason, the mere thought of it terrified her.

"No, no! Elsa is fine dear, more stoic than usual if such a thing is possible, but otherwise fine. No, you see I'm calling because, well… I wanted to make sure that you were still coming to visit her this Wednesday. I know it might be hard for you, considering everything that's happened with your brother, but Elsa does so enjoy your visits. She'd be absolutely crushed if she didn't see you."

Anna blinked, confused._  
><em>

"Why would I ever give up on Elsa? She'd done absolutely nothing wrong, and I love being around her. She's made so much progress in such a short time, how could I ever stop seeing her? What if I actually missed out on getting to hear her speak for the first time?"

"So… we can expect you this Wednesday then?"

"Of course! You tell Elsa that I'm not gonna stop until I find her truffle. Sorry… that sounded weird. But she'll know what I mean though."

She could feel Gerda's smile through the phone. "Excellent, dear. Elsa will be so happy. You have a good day now, you hear me?"

Anna grinned. "Yes ma'am!"

After the two exchanged goodbyes, Anna hung up first. Gerda, from her office in the institute, waited a moment before placing the receiver back in its place. She folded her hands and sat for a moment, smiling. With a quiet chuckle she reached back out and picked up the phone once again, this time dialing a different number.

She waited patiently as it rang. When someone answered, she asked for the mistress of the house. After a minute, she was redirected to the woman she was looking for.

"This is Catrine Helland."

"Yes, hello Mrs. Helland. You are well, I assume? ...Wonderful! I was actually wondering if you and your husband were free this Wednesday. You see, Elsa's had a breakthrough."

"What?! You… are you certain?"

"The most certain I've ever been in my life."

There was silence on the other line for a moment before the woman gave her reply. "Wednesday at four."

"Wonderful. I'll tell Elsa right away."

"Good day."

"To you as well, Mrs. Helland."

Gerda grinned mischievously as she hung up and placed the phone down again. Leaning back in her chair, she chuckled quietly to herself.

_Everyone's got to meet the parents at some point._

* * *

><p><strong>Hey biddies. Sorry about the wait. Second semester has stated so unfortunately I'm not going to have as much time to write or reply to all of your amazing reviews. But for real though? You guys are all wonderful human beings. Seriously. I've got people leaving me these long, beautifully thoughtful reviews, PM's, and it just makes me really happy :)<strong>

**Oh, and I have no idea who, but whoever gave this story a 9/10 on tumblr needs to be showered with love. All of you need to be showered with love.**

**-Cel**


	12. Chapter 12

Anna was halfway under the couch trying desperately to reach the TV remote when there was a knock on the door. "It's open!" she shouted as she strained her arm, trying to reach the small device as it taunted her, just inches out of her reach.

The door opened and Anna heard footsteps approaching; her face flushed when she heard the sounds of someone trying to hold back a laugh.

"You uh, lose something, Gingersnap?"

"Shut up! The _stupid_ remote somehow ended up under here and I've… _almost…_" her tongue poked out of the corner of her mouth and her eyes narrowed in determination as she stretched her arm out as far as it would go. The moment her fingers brushed against plastic she surged forward with a strength she didn't know she had and grasped the irritating little device. "Got it!" she cried in triumph.

Her moment of glory was ruined however, when she realized she was stuck. She tried to force herself backwards, her attempts to crawl devolving into desperate wriggling as she started to panic.

"I'm stuck! Meg, help!"

An amused chuckle sounded from somewhere behind her. "Hang on, Gingersnap. Let me just put this down." Meg put the pizza she'd brought with her down on the kitchen counter and shrugged her jacket off before tossing it onto the couch along with her overnight bag and keys. Moving around to face Anna's wriggling body, still half-swallowed up by the couch, Meg couldn't help but grin. _She's adorable. _Reaching down to grab the redhead's ankles and began to pull.

Anna let out a quiet yelp of surprise when she first started moving but made sure to duck her head to avoid unnecessary injury as she was pulled out from underneath the couch. When Meg released her ankles she rolled over onto her back and held up the remote with a triumphant grin. "Ha! Take that, couch cave! I may have lost things to you in the past, but today victory is mine!"

Meg just shook her head, smiling fondly down at the redhead. Gently, she prodded the younger girl with her foot. "Get up, weirdo. I brought pizza."

Anna's eyes lit up at the mention of food and she shot up. She tossed the remote onto the couch and was halfway to the pizza box before she stopped. "Wait…" Meg cocked a brow curiously when Anna turned back to face her within confusion written all over her face. "How did you hang on to a pizza box _and_ steer your bike at the same time?"

Meg blinked in surprise. "I have a car, Gingersnap. I put the pizza in the passenger seat." Anna's face turned rosy with embarrassment and Meg's lips curled into a grin. "Did you seriously think I could only drive motorcycles?"

Anna flushed darker and turned back around, stomping back over to the pizza box. "Well, I don't know! I mean, that's all I've ever seen you drive! ...Stop laughing!" Meg couldn't help herself, she was doubled over in laughter, clutching her stomach as she tried to picture herself steering her bike with one hand and carrying a pizza box in the other. Anna pulled herself up onto the counter and crossed her legs before pulling the box into her lap. She opened it up and immediately grabbed the slice that looked the cheesiest. "Whatever, keep laughing. Guess that means I'll just have to eat the whole thing myself."

"Hey! I paid for it! I deserve at least one slice." Meg hurried into the kitchen and pulled out one of the two stools that sat by the counter, sitting herself down as she tried to reach for a slice. Anna pulled the box away, frowning. "Oh, come on!"

"Say you're sorry for being mean and you can have a piece." Meg looked at her incredulously but Anna just raised her eyebrows expectantly. The two had a bit of a stare down before Meg sighed and raised her hands in surrender.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry for laughing. I'm an awful human being. Now may I please, oh cruel mistress of mine, have a slice of the pizza that I was kind enough to bring to you?"

Anna rolled her eyes. "Sarcastic, but I guess it'll do." She couldn't help the grin that grew on her face as Meg thanked her graciously for her forgiveness, and she allowed the brunette to take a piece.

The two ate in companionable silence, broken only when Meg paused between bites to laugh at the fact that Anna was getting sauce all over her chin. It was then Anna's turn to laugh when a rebellious piece of cheese dropped into the older girl's lap a moment later. True to her word, Anna did in fact eat most of the pizza herself, easily downing four slices as Meg watched in awe. When she reached for her fifth piece Anna noticed the brunette staring at her and she blushed.

"What? I'm hungry! I'm making up for all the meals I missed this week!"

Meg snorted. "Yeah, sure. That's what it is. I wonder if you'll be this enthusiastic about making up all the _homework_ you missed this week." Meg chuckled when the redhead instantly cringed. "Hey, don't worry. I'm pretty sure Kristoff talked to your teachers about what happened, they'll probably go easy on you. Don't forget to thank him for that, missy." Anna looked surprised for a moment before she blushed and looked away. Meg cocked her head, brow furrowing slightly. "Everything okay, Gingersnap?"

The redhead was silent for a moment before she sighed. "I always used to think I was unlucky. Being such a klutz, painfully awkward… I'll never understand how I managed to find friends as awesome as you guys."

"Aw, Gingersnap," Meg cooed, "it's _because _you're so awkward that we love you. It amuses us."

"Well gee, thanks!" Anna shouted sarcastically.

Meg just smiled and stood. "Look, Anna. You are one of the sweetest, kindest, and bravest girls I know. You're funny, charming, and above all honest. Being around you is like spending a day in summer: bright and clear and wonderful. And it doesn't hurt that you're cute." When Anna immediately blushed and looked away Meg grinned.

_Truth is there's something about her that I just can't help but like. Maybe it's the freckles. _The brunette left the kitchen and sauntered over to the living room, plopping down onto the couch and stretching out like a cat. "So Gingersnap, what exactly do you have planned for me tonight? I'm warning you now, if it involves pillow fights or nail painting, I'm out."

"Oh please," Anna called from the kitchen. "As if I would ever. That's the kind of sleepover Ariel or Snow would plan. We'll have none of that here. Honestly I was just kinda thinking we could watch a movie or something and then pass out until morning." The redhead finished the slice she was holding, put the pizza box down and then slid off the counter. "As you've already told me, I'm a rather boring teenager."

Meg just rolled her eyes, a fond smile tugging at her lips as she rolled onto her side. "Not boring, just utterly oblivious." _In more ways than one, I might add. That poor boy at the coffee shop the other night was trying every gentlemanly trick in the book but she didn't catch a whiff of it. He was practically giving her puppy dog eyes._ She heard Anna snort from somewhere behind her, and when she cracked one eye open to look upwards she saw the redhead leaning over the back of the couch, glaring down at her.

"I am _not_ oblivious!"

Meg couldn't help but laugh at that. "You actually really are, Gingersnap. It's hilarious and depressing at the same time. Now be a dear and get me a pillow, would you? This couch is actually quite comfy and I don't really feel like moving." Lavender eyes fell shut as Anna huffed and stomped away.

Meg had just rolled onto her back when a pillow hit her full-force in the face. "There you go, your majesty." Meg growled and pulled the pillow from her face, ready to voice her irritation, but just as she opened her mouth to speak a thick wool blanket followed the path of the pillow and nearly smothered her. She heard Anna laughing as she struggled to free herself and heat bloomed in her cheeks.

Anna had gotten her own blanket and pillow and set herself up in the leather recliner (yes, she had a thing for recliners) that sat near the couch. She kicked out the foot rest and sighed in contentment as she leaned back. "When you're done wrestling with my blanket, toss me the remote so I can pick a movie."

A hand came out from underneath the blanket, clutching the remote. Anna grinned and caught it when it was thrown her way, giggling when the rest of Meg came out from underneath the woolly monstrosity. She was gasping for breath as though she'd really just wrestled a monster and she sent Anna an evil glare. "If I had the energy to get up and take it back, I'd totally be throwing this pillow at you right now." Instead she just grabbed the pillow and shoved it behind her, flopping back down into the cushions and wrapping herself up in a cocoon. Anna just stuck her tongue out, snorting when Meg did the same a moment later.

"So, what do you wanna watch? I don't really think romance is your kinda thing, but we are so not watching a scary movie. Out of the question. I absolutely refuse. So let's see… we could watch a comedy, but they're cliché and usually not even that funny. Hm…" Anna's eyes narrowed in concentration as she scrolled through various movie titles (Netflix was a beautiful thing), not satisfied with anything she saw. When she came across something called 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' though, she stopped.

_Is that a skeleton?_

Anna cocked her head and Meg raised a brow in her direction. "Gingersnap, have you seriously never seen 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'?"

The redhead shook her head. "No. What's it about?"

"It's about this skeleton, Jack, who's the king of Halloween. Basically he gets sick of doing the same thing year after year, and somehow he manages to find himself a world that's all about Christmas. He gets really excited about all of the new, bright, shiny Christmas-y things he sees and he thinks 'Hey I could totally do this'. So he decides that he's going to be Santa Claus that year, and it's actually a pretty funny movie. Beautifully made, too."

"A skeleton that wants to celebrate Christmas?" Anna pondered over the thought for a moment. "Huh… that's a weird thought. Kinda like a snowman in summer. Odd, yet adorable. I vote yes!"

And so the pair settled in to watch what would soon become one of Anna's favorite movies.

Anna was so engrossed in the film that she missed the way Meg took the time to glance at her every now and then, eyes kind and smile warm. She watched the way Anna's eyes lit up whenever Jack came on screen, the way she grinned when a song started. Meg took the time to admire the color of Anna's eyes, somewhere between blue and green, complemented beautifully by her copper-tone hair.

_I think I've figured it out. Why I care so much. _She settled into the couch and spread the blanket so that it gave her less of a bear hug, giving her freedom to cross her arms over top of it. For a moment her eyes grew sad, memories bubbling to the forefront of her mind.

_She reminds me of Wonder Boy. The Wonder Boy I used to know._

* * *

><p>Anna was excited. It was finally Wednesday.<p>

Admittedly, she was a little bit apprehensive about returning to the institute. After all, the last time she'd been here her brother had almost killed a boy.

_But I'm here to see Elsa. Elsa always makes you happy, right? Right…_

She shot a quick glance at her phone to check the time. 4:17. Anna took a deep breath in as she passed through the main doors of the institute.

Meanwhile, Elsa was already in the visitor's lounge.

And in the typical 'Ice Queen' fashion she'd become famous for, she was rigid as a statue.

Her parents sat across from her, uncomfortable as anything. When they'd first come in to see her Elsa could tell they'd been excited, though she had no idea why. Nothing had changed. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Things _had_ changed, just not for the better. When Gerda had come to get her, telling her that her parents had come to see her, it had taken all of her willpower to keep her mask in place. To keep the anguished tears from raining down for what would have been the third time that day.

It should have been _Anna_ coming to see her.

But Anna had no reason to see her anymore. Not since her idiot brother and lost his visitation rights. And Elsa had to learn to live with that…

…no matter how much the thought of never seeing Anna again killed her inside.

So as she sat across from her parents (at her and Anna's table no less), she tried not to think about making snowflakes, or watching TV and hearing Anna's voice in her ear, or the way that Anna's eyes would light up when Elsa did something to make her smile, or the feel of Anna's skin on hers…

"Elsa?"

Her mother was talking to her. If she cared enough she would have raised her eyes from the floor to look her in the eye. But she didn't.

_I miss her. It's only been a week and I miss her _so_ much. I… I don't know what I'm going to do. It's not enough to just see her in my head or in my dreams, I need _her. _I need her here beside me, to make me feel like- God, to just make me _feel._ How did I survive before she was here? How did I last this long?_

"Gerda told us that you'd… made a breakthrough. She said she was certain of it. But here you are, so far away from us… just like always. Off in your own world." She barely registered her mother sighing, missed the way her father wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders to comfort her. There were tears gathering in her mother's eyes that Elsa couldn't see.

Elsa would never know it, but her mother had been so desperate to see the change that had been advertised to her. She'd dared to think that her daughter, whose voice she hadn't heard in ten years, might look her square in the eye today. Maybe even smile at her. But here they were, Elsa's hands folded in her lap, her back stiff, eyes trained on the floor. Her pale face displayed no emotion whatsoever.

And it made Catrine's already-fragile heart break even further.

Closing her eyes and clenching her fists, Catrine moved to stand. "I-I'm sorry dear, I have to step outside for a moment." Anton rose as well, but made no move to stop his wife. Catrine crossed the room quickly, eyes burning as she tried to hold back the tears. She reached out to grasp the handle of the door that lead back out into the hallway, only to find it disappearing as someone else pulled the door open from the other side.

"Oh, Mrs. Helland! Hi!"

There was utter silence.

Catrine blinked down at the young woman that stood before her. It was Anna, the charming redhead who'd comforted her with her kind words and understanding smile all those weeks ago. The freckle-faced redhead was smiling up at her, but the sound of a chair scraping violently across the floor caused both pairs of eyes to shift back into the visitor's lounge.

Catrine gasped at what she saw.

Her daughter was standing. Her eyes were no longer trained on the floor but wide, bright… and staring right at Anna. They were also glistening with tears.

"Elsa?" That was Anna's voice. Elsa just brought a hand to her mouth, the first tears beginning to fall. "Elsa, what's wrong?"

And as Catrine and Anton looked on in awe, their daughter took a few shaky steps forward, eyes never leaving Anna's. Then all of a sudden her hand came away from her mouth and she was running across the lounge. Catrine felt Anna move past her, the younger girl's arms opening. Elsa only ran faster, sprinting the last few steps and flying into Anna's arms. Anna caught her, arms wrapping around the blonde's waist as Elsa crushed the younger girl to her, forehead pressing against Anna's shoulder as her face turned in towards the redhead's neck.

Catrine's hand flew up to her mouth as tears finally flowed freely down her cheeks, and across the room Anton stared at the pair in disbelief.

Confusion grew in Anna's eyes as one of her hands dragged up Elsa's back to weave their way into thick blonde locks, cradling the taller girl's head. Elsa was sobbing. Anna could feel the tears tickling their way down her neck. "Elsa, what's wrong?" The blonde just shook her head and held Anna tighter.

All of a sudden Anna understood. Her eyes grew sad but an understanding, tender smile grew on her face. "Oh Elsa…" the blonde shuddered at the sound of her name."You didn't actually think I'd stop visiting, did you? Elsa, you're so silly. How could I ever? After all, we haven't found your truffle yet."

And the entire room's jaws dropped when the blonde's grip grew impossibly tighter…

…and Elsa let loose a soft, desperate whine.

The first sound she'd made in 10 years.

* * *

><p><strong>Happy Valentine's Day, babes!<strong>

**I love you all, and that's why I made a tumblr especially for you guys. If you have any questions or want to know anything random about me or the story, just find me. The name's CelerySticks4Life (insert period) tumblr (insert period) com, cuz some trick already took my actual name. Oh well.**

**Hope y'all have a great holiday! The bottle of wine sitting next to me and the friends waiting for me to finish this up all tell me mine's gonna be good ;)**

**-Cel**


	13. Chapter 13

"E-Elsa?"

Anna was shocked. Beyond shocked; she was utterly and completely flabbergasted. Her jaw was slack, mouth hanging open crudely, eyes as wide as saucers.

Elsa had made a sound. It was small, barely there... but Elsa had made a sound.

_I_… _I just heard Elsa's voice. It wasn't a word, but it was still her voice._

_God, it was beautiful. Like a little wind chime, or a sleigh bell. Oh, I can't even begin to imagine what hearing her speak will be like... but I can worry about that later. Right now though, I'm so proud! I can't believe it!_

An ecstatic smile stretched across her face. She tried to pull back so she could look Elsa in the eye, but the moment the redhead began to pull away Elsa reacted instantly. Anna's smile faltered slightly as the blonde's grip tightened and she pulled their bodies impossibly closer, refusing to let her go. A wet, porcelain cheek pressed flush against the column of Anna's throat and the chill skin sent an oddly pleasant shiver through her spine. _Guess she's still having her moment. _With a blush rising in her cheeks, Anna quickly realized that there was basically no part of her body that _wasn't_ in contact in Elsa's.

And even though it was extremely awkward because Elsa's parents were literally right there, staring at them, Anna was pretty much fine with it.

She just resumed smiling and returned the embrace, fingers gently stroking through Elsa's hair as the blonde continued to sob. The redhead couldn't believe that the beautiful girl in her arms had been silly enough to think that Anna would actually stop visiting her. The idea was absurd. Why would she ever stop visiting Elsa? Elsa and her adorable antics had been one of the few things that she still looked forward to every week, one of the few things that still managed to bring a smile to her face without fail.

_Why would I ever give that up?_

The sounds of someone else sobbing caught Anna's attention, and as she tried to turn her head (Elsa's grip was much stronger than Anna could have ever anticipated) her eyes found Catrine staring at the pair of them with wet eyes but an overjoyed smile hiding behind her hand.

"Oh Elsa…" the older woman whispered.

Anna flushed even brighter. _Oh. This is really mildly awkward. _"Um… sorry to kind of spring this on you Mrs. Helland but, um… I've kinda sorta been visiting Elsa every Wednesday for, ah… how long has it been? Well, there was the first day, then snowflake day, then the Kim Possible marathon day… but geez you don't need to know what happened every single day!" She let out a nervous laugh. "But then again since she's your daughter and I'm practically a stranger maybe you do… and, again, sorry for coming out of nowhere but you are Elsa's mom right? And you, Mr. Helland? You're Elsa's dad?"

She grinned sheepishly. "Nice to officially meet you, I guess."

Catrine and Anton could only stare in wonder. Awkward silence filled the room. Anna was pretty sure her face was beet-red by now so to avoid making herself look any more foolish she took advantage of Elsa's clinging and turned to hide her blush in the other girl's hair. Elsa's sobs had finally died down to quiet sniffling, and when she felt Anna turn to rest her cheek against the top of her head the blonde let out a content sigh. It was finally starting to sink in that Anna was _here,_ really, truly _here._ Here to see _her._

The thought brought a beautiful smile to the blonde's face, which Anna could feel but no one could see.

After another minute of blissful body contact Elsa finally pulled back. Her eyes were red but, much like her mother's, overjoyed. Her hands came up to cup Anna's cheeks, holding the blushing redhead in place as blue eyes bored into turquoise. There was so much emotion in Elsa's gaze that the redhead had trouble deciphering it all: there was joy, disbelief, a child-like wonder... but there was something darker, something more intense that she couldn't put a name to. In the face of this intense gaze Anna stayed silent, staring back at Elsa, unable to look away even as her heart began to hammer in her chest.

They were so close that Anna could count every eyelash, every adorably pale freckle on the blonde's face.

_I never realized how much taller she was than me…_

It was true, Elsa was at least three inches taller than her, enough of a difference that Anna had to tilt her head back ever so slightly to meet Elsa's jewel-like gaze; a jewel-like gaze that, for some strange reason, seemed to be getting closer.

The hammering in her chest seemed to stop the instant she realized that Elsa's face was quickly descending to meet hers. Her mind went blank, her muscles went slack…

…and when she felt downy-soft lips press against her forehead, she was almost sure she'd stopped breathing.

Elsa's cool lips lingered, the blonde girl's eyes shut in bliss as she allowed herself to enjoy the feel of Anna's sun-kissed skin on her lips for the first time.

It was something she'd been dreaming about for a very long time… and reality just couldn't compare.

Elsa's parents were forgotten as the two stood frozen in that pose: Elsa's lips pressed against her forehead, hands cupping her cheeks as Anna was helpless to do anything, dazed as though under a spell. After what felt like an oddly pleasant eternity to Anna, Elsa pulled back only slightly. Soft lips were replaced by smooth skin as Elsa rested her forehead against Anna's, thumbs brushing softly against the freckled skin of the redhead's still-captive cheeks. Her eyes were still closed, her mouth open ever so slightly as she breathed in and out. It was only after Anna realized she was staring that she needed to do the same.

With a shaky gasp, Anna's heart started thundering again and the heat that had temporarily subsided for Elsa's shocking display of affection came back full force. In response to Anna's shuddering breath, the redhead felt Elsa tense. Her thumbs stopped their gentle caress of Anna's skin and her eyes shut tighter as her jaw clenched. Anna got the feeling that, for some reason, Elsa was afraid of what might happen next, of how Anna would react. That if she opened her eyes, Anna might not be there when she did.

_Silly._

The redhead brought her own hands up to Elsa's wrists, frowning when she realized the other girl was shaking ever so slightly. She allowed her own thumbs to gently brush across the sensitive underside of the blonde's wrists in a motion not dissimilar to the way Elsa had been caressing her cheeks only moments before.

"Elsa…" she whispered. Blue eyes opened to stare back at her, shy and uncertain. Anna smiled gently. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here. You don't have to be afraid."

And she leaned in to press a feather-light kiss to the tip of Elsa's nose.

Elsa stared back at her, eyes beginning to glisten once more. For a moment Anna was afraid she might start crying again, but all of a sudden the blonde's lips split in an angelic smile and Anna found herself once again pressed flush against the older girl. This time though, it was Elsa's cheek resting on her hair. Anna's head was securely tucked under the other girl's chin, a hand at the back of her head holding her in place, nails gently scratching at her scalp in an extremely pleasant manner. Elsa was practically purring with delight, just without the noise. There was a dazed grin stretched lazily across her face and she was buzzing with joy.

The redhead grinned and wrapped her arms around the other girl's waist.

_Is it possible to be addicted to hugs? Because if it is I could totally see myself getting used to this. Elsa is probably the best hugger I've ever had the pleasure of hugging._

"Oh good! We're all here then."

Elsa's parents turned to stare at the lounge's newest occupant. Anna tried to as well but Elsa had a firm grip on her and after a moment of futile wiggling around in the blonde's embrace the redhead gave up. Unbeknownst to her, Elsa's lazy smile curled into a triumphant smirk.

It was Gerda, just coming through the door to the lounge with a calm smile on her old face. She nodded to Mr. Oaken, who throughout this whole affair had been seated at his desk like usual, not even bothering to hide the excited grin on his face. Gerda folded her hands before her, bowed her head to Anton and then did the same for Elsa's mother. When she saw Anna and Elsa wrapped up in each other her eyes crinkled with affection and she allowed herself a content sigh.

"Gerda." The pudgy old woman turned her attention to Mrs. Helland, who had stepped around the pair of girls and was making her way back to her husband's side.

"Mrs. Helland."

"What is the meaning of this?"

Gerda could only grin. Mrs. Helland was trying so hard to look stern but every second or so her eyes would look back to her daughter and the redhead she held in her embrace. Catrine's lavender eyes were soft and even though she'd already succeeded in brushing all of her tears away they were still red from crying. Gerda could tell that underneath her cool exterior Elsa's mother was overjoyed.

And why shouldn't she be? For the past ten years her daughter had behaved like a marble statue, cold, silent and unloving. But within the past ten minutes she'd seen that statue come to life, cry, show more affection than most normal people were comfortable showing around others, and she'd even made a sound. Her first sound in a decade. That was more than even Gerda had been hoping for.

"I do hope you can find it in your souls to forgive me Mr. and Mrs. Helland, but you must understand that I thought this was something you simply had to see." She turned to look fondly at the pair standing on the other side of the room. "The breakthrough I spoke of Mrs. Helland, it's wonderful, is it not?"

Both Anton and Catrine sent their gazes the same way. Mrs. Helland blindly reached for her husband's hand and he grasped it with a smile. Elsa's mother opened her mouth to speak but struggled to find the words. Her mind was running at a million miles an hour and there was no sense of order to any of her thoughts. Anton however had no such problems. "Indeed it is." He chuckled when Anna finally managed to free herself from Elsa's embrace; the first thing she did was wave to the trio of adults watching them fondly, cheeks red and eyes shy. After a moment though her eyes flashed back to Elsa's and she jumped, hands immediately reaching back down to intertwine with the taller girl's as her eyes grew soft.

The moment Anna pulled away Elsa had immediately shifted back into her insecurities; her hands had begun to reach up to clutch at her braid before Anna's own had shot out to stop her. Blue eyes widened in surprise before a blush lit up the blonde's cheeks and she looked away. Anna could only sigh and whisper words of comfort as the adults looked on.

"How long has this been going on?"

Gerda turned back to Mrs. Helland, who had finally settled on just allowing herself to enjoy the sight of her daughter acting human once again. The orderly smiled. "For about two months now. Miss Christian over there has been coming to see Elsa every Wednesday, and as you can see her presence has been doing wonders for your daughter."

"But why? How? What have they been doing?"

"Well, nothing important really. Most days Miss Christian just comes and talks to her, sometimes they watch TV together. Oh, but there was one day when Miss Christian taught Elsa how to make paper snowflakes. That was simply precious. Oh, you should have seen Miss Christian's face when Elsa practically forced the snowflakes she'd made into the poor girl's arms before fleeing. Their faces were both just so red!"

Catrine blinked in surprise. "Paper… snowflakes?" After a moment of contemplating the idea Catrine brought a hand up to her mouth to contain a laugh. Anton grinned and wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders, pulling her in close. "Oh my, I _do_ wish I could have seen that."

Anton spoke next. "So Miss Gerda, I have the feeling that we have you to thank for this. We ourselves know from past experience that Miss Christian is quite the ray of sunshine, but what made her want to spend time with our daughter?"

Gerda's smile only stretched wider. "Well you see, Mr. Anton… it actually _was_ all Anna's doing. I'd had no idea the two even met, but one day I got a call from Mr. Oaken telling me that Elsa had a visitor. Miss Christian came of her own free will, and even I don't know the reason why. I suppose you could ask her yourself, because it doesn't look like she's going anywhere."

Catrine smiled fondly in the direction of her daughter, but after a moment her eyes narrowed. A thought had just occured to her. "Gerda… who is it that Anna is here for? We've met her once before and she made it seem as though she was visiting someone very close to her."

For the first time, Gerda looked uncomfortable. "I-I'm afraid I can't say. Patient confidentiality and all that. If you want to know, you'll have to ask Miss Christian herself."

Catrine's eyes narrowed in suspicion. She was a woman who was not used to being denied, but of course she understood. She looked at Anna again, a new curiosity in her eyes. "What of her parents? Where are they when she visits? Do they ever accompany her?"

"I'm… sure that if they were still alive, they'd love to."

Anton and Catrine felt their hearts clench in their chests. Surely it couldn't be true. Anna was such a happy, wonderful girl to be around! How could that be so if such a tragedy had befallen her? And at such a young age! Looking at Anna, one would never think that bright, freckled smile hid such sadness. Catrine looked up at her husband, waiting for him to return her gaze, and then in unison they both turned their heads to watch Anna interact with their daughter. There was a new-found respect in their eyes for the young woman who'd already done so much for their daughter, probably without even properly understanding what she was capable of.

Elsa and Anna had moved to the couch in front of the TV, sitting so close together that their sides were basically touching. From what her parents could tell, Elsa was gazing down at Anna's hands, which the blonde held captive in her lap. Anna was happy to let the other girl play with her fingers, occasionally giggling when Elsa hit a ticklish spot.

"You might wish to get to know Miss Christian better, Mr. and Mrs. Helland. I have a feeling that those two are going to need each other in the upcoming months."

Without turning her head, Catrine spoke distractedly. "Those 'two'? Yes, Elsa seems to be quite taken with her... but why would Miss Christian need our daughter? She's young and charming, what could be troubling her that her friends couldn't help her with?"

Gerda's smile grew strained. "While Miss Christian is loath to admit it, and dare I say even perhaps unaware of just how so, her life has been quite trying as of late. These visits always leave her looking haggard, and the sadness in her eyes pains this weary old heart of mine. And she does it so often! Every week for the past three months she's come at least twice a week, and that's only increased since she's started visiting your daughter. That's not to say visiting Elsa wears her out by any means, it's actually quite the opposite." With this admission Gerda's smile regained its warmth. "On those days, her smile is genuine and her eyes are bright and full of affection. Elsa has just as much an effect on Anna as Anna has on her."

Catrine smiled at the thought, and maybe it was just Gerda's words repeating themselves in her head but when the tall brunette thought back to when she'd first met Anna all those weeks ago she remembered. Though the young girl had been smiling, there had been bags under her eyes and a certain, distracted undercurrent to her kind gaze.

Now though, as she sat smiling across from Elsa none of that was present. Anna's eyes were bright and filled with mirth, cheeks red as Elsa moved that much closer. Catrine's heart almost gave out when she saw her daughter hesitate only for a moment before gently resting her head atop the other girl's. Anna tensed for a second before her shoulders shook with a gentle laugh and she snuggled into the older girl's side. She felt her husband's hand grip gently at her shoulder and she raised a hand to cover it with their own.

_This is no breakthrough, _she thought. _This is a blessing._

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><p><strong>Happy times for my readers :)<strong>

**I love you all, and in reward for all your love I give you an Elsa/Anna centered chapter. With no Meg, for those of you who are dead-set against her getting anywhere near Anna and her fine freckled booty. But for those of you who like Meg, don't worry. She's still got a role to work ;)**

**Peace and snow kisses to you all!**

**-Cel**

**P.S. I do apologize for not replying to all of your reviews, I literally can't even keep up with you guys anymore. We're up to 700 followers, and that's just cray cray bananas. Like, my mind is blown.**


	14. Chapter 14

Anna didn't notice the tender smiles being sent her way as she snuggled against Elsa. She missed it when Mrs. Helland's grin turned mischievous and was unaware of the trio of adults leaving the room. Even Mr. Oaken had retreated into his office, though he was still able to keep a watchful eye on them through the Plexiglas wall. All that mattered to her at that moment was the girl pressed against her side, who had still refused to let go of her hand. The TV wasn't even turned on, they were just sitting in pleasant silence, each enjoying the other's presence.

And Elsa's shoulder was just so comfortable… Anna would have been perfectly fine taking a nap right then and there.

"Elsa," she paused to yawn, bringing up the hand that Elsa wasn't holding in order to stifle it, before continuing. "Has anyone ever told you that you make a fantastic pillow?"

She felt Elsa grin, and as pink dusted over the other girl's cheeks Anna grinned in turn when Elsa moved to hide her face in Anna's hair. The redhead giggled when she felt Elsa shake her head 'no'.

"Well let me tell you, they're missing out." Elsa squeezed her hand when she nuzzled further into the blonde's shoulder, the soft blue fleece of the blonde's sweater tickling her skin. Once she found her sweet spot, firmly convinced she couldn't get any more comfortable if she tried, she sighed in contentment. Her breathe must have tickled the skin of the blonde's neck however, because Anna felt her shiver. The redhead was silent for a moment, weighing the possible meanings of this reaction in her head before a devilish grin spread across her face. "Elsa… are you ticklish?"

The blonde froze and Anna's grin only grew wider. Immediately her free hand found the blonde's thin waist and a single finger extended to poke the taller girl's side. Elsa's pink lips parted in a silent squeal and she immediately flinched away. Her foot however managed to catch itself against Anna's so when she tried to move away her legs got stuck and she ended up falling, her back thumping against the couch. For a moment the blonde was dazed, staring wide-eyed up at the ceiling before she caught the sound of Anna laughing uproariously. Fire spread across her cheeks and the blonde threw an arm over her face to hide both her eyes and her embarrassment.

Anna on the other hand was doubled over in laughter, hands clutching her sides as she gasped for air. "O-oh my _god_, Elsa…" she managed to gasp out amidst her hysterics, "you, I can't- oh my god! I had no idea it was _that_ bad! You've gotta be like, _hyper-_sensitive or something!"

She was laughing so hard that her eyes were screwed shut to prevent the tears of mirth from escaping; every so often a laugh was punctuated with an 'ow' or 'oh god' as her sides started to burn. She hadn't laughed this hard in… well, actually this was probably the first time she'd ever laughed this hard!

_The look on her face! God it was like she'd never even been tickled before! She was absolutely terrified! Oh my God, she's just so precious!_

Eventually she started to calm down, more gasps escaping her than actual laughs. She wiped a tear away and tried to compose herself. After a few last painful gasps, she finally glanced back over at Elsa.

And she immediately stopped laughing.

Elsa had half-risen, lower half still splayed out on the couch cushions but she was propping herself up on her elbows. Her face was red from embarrassment and her already-messy braid was even messier. It should have been cute. Her eyes however, were narrowed in a glare.

Anna immediately panicked. _Is she mad at me? _"U-um, I uh, I-I didn't mean to make you mad Elsa, I just…" Anna trailed off when Elsa's glare turned playful and her lips began to slowly lift up into a smirk. Slowly the blonde started to rise, and Anna gulped audibly as a chill went down her spine. "Uh oh…"

In an instant Elsa's lips parted in a Cheshire cat grin and she lunged, tackling the redhead back against the couch and immediately going straight for her sides. The blonde's thin fingers dug in mercilessly and Anna immediately started to shriek, arms flailing as laughter once again echoed throughout the room. "E-Elsa! Stop, stop it- oh my god my sides!" Already sore from her previous bouts of laughter Anna's abs were practically screaming at her, but she was helpless to escape the tickles. When she tried to wriggle away Elsa only followed. "So, _so_ not fair!" Her eyes were tearing up again, she had to get away. In a desperate attempt to flee she reached out for Elsa's hips and began her own barrage of tickling.

Elsa's eyes immediately widened and she jumped, hands pausing in their attack on Anna's sides. The redhead took the opportunity to pull herself out from underneath the blonde and roll away. She fell to the floor with a thump but was up in an instant, running to the opposite side of the room with a triumphant cry. "Hah! Freedom!"

Elsa blinked once in confusion, mouth agape, before she grinned and her eyes narrowed in determination. She got up and ran after the redhead and the two began a playful game of cat and mouse, Anna running every which way until finally the two found themselves on opposite sides of their table. Both eyed each other wearily; when Elsa moved right Anna did the same, and when Anna considered running again Elsa immediately stepped into her line of sight.

The two stood in a silent standoff.

And then they both erupted into giggles.

When the pain in her sides grew too much to bear, Anna collapsed onto the ground with a huff, breathing heavily as her giggles began to subside. Her eyes slid shut as she wiped the slightest traces of sweat from her forehead. The cool linoleum felt good against her back and she relaxed. "Whew… I think that's enough exercise for one day." She heard footsteps and cracked one eye open to see Elsa staring down at her, breathing heavy even as the corner of her mouth curled up into a lopsided grin. Anna smiled and patted the ground next to her. "Come on down, the linoleum's fine!"

Her eyes slid shut once again and, after a moment, she felt Elsa lay down beside her. Within moments the redhead felt a hand intertwine with hers and she grinned.

_Wow. I can't believe how affectionate she's being. She must have really thought I was never coming back… _and her grin fell into a frown. She turned her head to look at Elsa…

…and immediately blushed when she found Elsa staring right back at her. Their faces were only inches apart.

_I don't think I'll ever get over how absolutely gorgeous she is… like, how can someone be this perfect? And she's such a sweetheart too. She doesn't deserve to be so sad all the time. She should be just like this: happy. Smiling. _

_And I… I want to be there to see it. I want to be the reason she does._

The thoughts were a bit intimidating. They came out of nowhere. If Anna hadn't been so transfixed on the angelic face staring back at her, she might have questioned herself and her clearly overactive brain. But, little did she know that Elsa was following a near-identical train of thought.

The two continued to stare at each other, vision narrowing until all each could see was the other's face. The world around them didn't matter. Elsa's troubles, Anna's worries, none of it existed in that moment. Blue eyes flicked south. Anna barely registered the blonde licking her lips. When Elsa began to lean in, Anna felt her eyes slowly sliding shut.

But the sound of a door opening broke the spell.

Anna shot up as Elsa froze, eyes wide and panicked. The blonde immediately rolled onto her side, facing away from Anna as her hands came up to cover her mouth.

Anna on the other hand found herself staring both at the door and at Elsa's parents, who'd just magically reappeared. _When did they even leave the room?! _They were talking amongst themselves, excited about something. When Catrine caught sight of the pair of them on the floor though, she paused. Anna's face grew hot when the brunette raised an elegant brow in her direction. Anton on the other hand saw them and had to stifle a chuckle.

"Anna?" Mrs. Helland asked.

"Y-yes, Mrs. Helland?"

Lavender eyes gave the redhead a once-over, quickly shifting to Elsa's form curled up on the floor before returning to Anna's flushed face. "Why are you two on the floor?"

"O-oh! Well, um, you see it's kind of a funny story, but it's also kind of awkward. See, Elsa and I were sitting on the couch and all of a sudden I was like 'hey, I totally bet that Elsa's ticklish' and so I tested it out and turns out, yeah! She was! Like, really _really_ ticklish! And it was really funny, but then she started tickling me to get revenge and I tried to get away so then we kinda just ended up running around because she was still trying to tickle me. I was trying to get away, obviously. And we got kinda sweaty so I laid down on the floor and it felt really nice so I figured Elsa might like it too… so, um… here we are!"

Catrine only stared back at her, silent. Anton behind her had a hand over his mouth, eyes closed as he tried to hold back laughter.

Anna flushed and stood, dusting herself off. She looked down at Elsa, curled up in a ball and she was immediately concerned. "Elsa! Are you okay?" She moved to Elsa's side and held her hands out. "Here, stand up."

Elsa's head turned and she glanced up at Anna shyly. Red was once again coating her cheeks, and though her hands had come away from her mouth they were still held in tight to her body. Her entire frame was tense, but all it took was a simple nod and a smile from Anna and the blonde relaxed. She rolled over onto her back and pushed herself into an upright position. She reached out and took Anna's hands, and her mouth fell open in surprise as the redhead swiftly pulled her up with unexpected strength. When the blonde realized how close they were she took a step back, which Anna noted with a slight frown.

Elsa's parents watched the exchange with faint smiles. After a moment Catrine cleared her throat and Anna turned her face from Elsa's to look at the older woman curiously. Elsa however, dropped her gaze to Anna's hands, intertwined with her own between their bodies.

"Elsa dear, your father and I are leaving. We'll be back again next Friday, and we'll be bringing you home for the weekend. The Helland house is to host the Spring Ball this year, and we'd like it very much if you would make an appearance. We've already talked to your therapist and he's given consent. As for you, Miss Christian," Anna seemed to stand just a bit straighter when her name was called, the curiosity in her eyes having doubled at the mention of the party. Catrine only smiled. "Perhaps you would like to attend?"

Anna's jaw dropped, and she felt Elsa's grip on her hands tighten. "M-me?" she sputtered. When Catrine nodded Anna just blushed and her eyes fell to the floor. "But, but I'm nowhere near sophisticated enough for a party like that. I mean, my social life consists of eating pizza without plates and yelling at my best friend when he beats me in video games!"

Truthfully though, the idea of attending a ball thrilled her. The beautiful dresses, the sophisticated company… but she was absolutely terrified that she was going to make a fool of herself in front of Elsa's parents. Or worse, Elsa herself. The last thing she needed was Elsa doubled over in laughter when Anna tripped over the hem of her dress and went flying into some poor soul, as would surely happen if she attended. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd worn a dress! Skirts she could handle, maybe, but since she'd basically been living in jeans and leggings for the past three months the transition was definitely going to be difficult. Dress-wearing was far more complicated than bike-riding.

_That's not just something you slip right back into. Unless maybe you're Elsa, or Elsa's mom. I'm sure they'd be absolutely flawless in floor-lengths gowns. I'd probably end up tripping into the punch bowl. Wait, do they even have punch bowls anymore? Is that still a thing? Do old people even drink punch?_

Anna felt her hands being squeezed and she looked down. Elsa's thumbs were drawing gentle circles against her skin, and when she looked up she saw Elsa smiling shyly at her. Though the blonde's smile was cautious her eyes were absolutely alight with excitement.

'_Really?' _Anna asked with her eyes, an eyebrow raising ever so slightly as she fixed the taller girl with a questioning gaze. Elsa's response was to bring their intertwined hands up to her mouth, attempting to hide the smile that was steadily growing larger.

When Elsa nodded, Anna realized that she'd never actually had a chance at refusing.

Without so much as a word of protest, she conceded defeat. With a nervous grin of her own, she turned back to Elsa's parents. "Sure. I'd love to. Just… don't be too surprised when I end up making a fool of myself. Because that's definitely going to happen. I can almost definitely guarantee it."

Catrine and Anton just laughed. Anna's gaze fell to the floor, cheeks pink, but a gentle pressure against her knuckles had her eyes up in an instant.

Elsa was pressing her lips to Anna's knuckles, adoration and joy shining in her beautiful blue eyes. After a moment of eye contact the blonde pulled away, smile growing tender as a blush bloomed in her cheeks.

Anna could only scrunch her shoulders up to her ears and look away, a shy smile of her very own tugging at her lips. _Oh boy. What have I gotten myself into?_

Catrine smiled, clapping her hands together. "Wonderful! I'll make the arrangements. You can come stay at the manor for perhaps a day or two prior to the event. Elsa can give you a tour and you two can have some quality time to yourselves." Her hands remained joined together as her lavender eyes shifted back and forth between her daughter and the charming young woman she'd become infatuated with. "Well Elsa dear, we'll see you next week."

She hesitated for a moment, desperately wanting to take her daughter into her arms but fearing the rejection that would surely follow. However, the moment she'd decided against trying for a hug, Ela released Anna's hands and turned her body to face her parents. Her eyes were still downcast, and the moment she'd let go of Anna her arms had folded securely across her stomach, but the action still caused Catrine's eyes to widen in shock.

Elsa was acknowledging their presence. True, no eye contact was shared, no soft words of comfort exchanged, but the blonde's body language proved that she was aware of their existence. Aware of what they were doing for her, and grateful for it.

Catrine immediately stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her daughter's shoulders. "I love you, dear. I always have, and I always will." After a moment she stepped back and allowed her husband to have his turn, unable to stop the smile that grew on her face at the sight of her daughter stiff in her father's embrace, face blank when he moved to ruffle her hair affectionately. "Well, we'll be off then. Goodbye, Miss Christian. First though, ff you would be so kind as to hand me your phone?" When the blushing redhead withdrew her phone and handed it to the older woman Catrine quickly entered her personal phone number and pressed 'call'. Her phone began to buzz in her handbag, which she held nestled in the crook of her arm, and with a look of satisfaction she passed the small device back to its owner.

"You can expect a call from us sometime this weekend. Have a good day, Miss Christian."

Anna just gave her a shy wave, a hand immediately running through her auburn hair once the Hellands left the visitor's lounge.

"I… wow. That actually happened. Right, Elsa? That happened? I didn't just dream that?" Elsa only giggled. Anna just let out a shaky exhale, a hand pressing against her heart. "Yeah, you're right. That totally did happen. Wait, oh my god!" Anna turned to Elsa then, whose eyes widened slightly in response to the sudden panic in the redhead's eyes. "What am I going to wear?!"

* * *

><p><strong>Hey babes :D<strong>

**My friend is passed out across from me right now. Too many tequila shots I guess. Not everyone can be a champ like me ;)**

**I love you all! G'night!**

**-Cel**


	15. Chapter 15

Anna felt her face flush as Kristoff stared down at her blankly. She'd just finished telling him about what happened at the institute, and about the Helland's invitation. She played with her fingers absentmindedly, biting at her lip as her eyes flicked back and forth between both of his. The echoes of students getting ready to leave school for the day prevented the awkward silence that surely would have filled the tense air that surrounded the two best friends.

Her heart started to beat faster when Kristoff opened his mouth to speak, but she groaned when it shut a second later and the blonde just continued to stare. "Come on man, say something!"

Brown eyes narrowed and Kristoff frowned. "Well… what am I supposed to say?"

"I don't know, something!"

Kristoff brought a hand to his face with a groan, dragging it down the length of his brow before pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look Anna… at first, yeah sure. Visit the cute blonde in the institute because she makes you giggle. Bring her chocolate, make her laugh. Ignore the fact that she could be and probably is really seriously damaged in some way because hey, like I said, she's cute! Fine, totally harmless. But this?" His hand fell away from his face and he fixed her with a serious gaze. "Don't you think this is a bit much?"

Anna crossed her arms. "What do you mean?"

"Anna, come on! This girl is a patient in a _mental institution_. She's not okay! You're acting like she's some little kid you've been babysitting and that this is some sort of field trip! This is her _home, _her _family_ that you're getting involved with. You're in over your head!"

"I so don't treat her like a little kid, you take that back!"

Kristoff rolled his eyes. "You taught her how to make paper snowflakes. You bring her chocolate every week. You squeal over her like a puppy at the pound. I get that she's… simple, and it probably means a lot to her that you take the time to visit her, but you're getting attached. You're not qualified to be in putting yourself in this position. What if something goes wrong at this party? What if she has a breakdown, or freaks out about something and ends up worse than she was before? What if she tries to hurt-"

Anna's eyes widened, then narrowed in the same instant. She slammed a hand over the blonde's mouth, turquoise eyes dangerous. "Don't you _dare_ finish that sentence. Elsa would _never_ hurt me. Elsa could never hurt anyone."

Kristoff glared right back at her, ripping her hand away from his face. "This," he growled as his voice began to rise, "is what I'm talking about! You act like you know her so well, but the truth is you know almost nothing about this girl! All you know is that she's blonde, likes chocolate, and for some _odd_ reason that you _don't know, _hasn't spoken a single word in ten years! Have you ever stopped to think about why you're the only one she acknowledges?" Anna looked confused for a moment before shaking her head 'no,' and Kristoff tightened his grip on her wrist. "Well maybe you should start! Because this could get very unhealthy; if she becomes dependent on you then you're screwed because we both know that you wouldn't have the heart to get rid of her!"

"She's not a parasite, you big lug, she's a person. A person with feelings and a backstory, the same as everyone else. And I don't care why she's in there; if she wants me to know then one day she'll find a way to tell me. This ball is not gonna be a big deal! Mrs. Helland called me last night and said that they've brought her home for visits before and each one's gone fine. I mean, granted, she just stayed in her room and read books the whole time but still! She's not gonna flip out or anything!"

Kristoff had had enough. He dropped her wrist and grabbed her by the shoulders. "You don't _know _that! You're putting too much faith in a person that you don't know!"

Anna sighed. "Kristoff, please. I know you're just looking out for me, but I need you to listen. Elsa is not dangerous. Maybe I am putting too much trust in her, but that's just who I am and even though it's gotten me in trouble before I'm still alive and kicking, right?" She waited until Kristoff gave her a cautious nod before continuing. "Right. You're right when you tell me to be careful, you're right that I should be curious. And I am! But you're wrong about one thing. I _do _understand Elsa. I don't know how or why, but I do. All she wants is for someone to care about her, and if I'm that person then that's awesome. She's not the only person getting something out of this, you know. I like being around her! She's always sweet, always patient even when I ramble on like an idiot, and seeing her get excited about little things always makes me smile. It's… easy, being around her. Refreshing."

As she finished her speech she gave her best friend a weak smile, hoping he would understand. The blonde boy was regarding her silently, the grip on her shoulders soft as he mulled her words over in his head. After a while he sighed.

"This stubborn streak of yours is going to get you killed one day." Anna grinned when he released her shoulders and straightened back up. "Fine, do what you want. Just remember what I said, okay? I don't want to see you get hurt."

"And just _who_ would be hurting our darling Gingersnap?"

Anna jumped an arm wrapped around her shoulders and a warm body pressed against her side. She turned her head and smiled when she saw Meg gazing down at her with a brow cocked curiously. "Hey, Meg!"

Meg just grinned before turning her attention to Kristoff. "What's this I hear about Gingersnap getting hurt?"

Kristoff just crossed his arms, shoulders rising up in a half-hearted shrug. "Anna's just being Anna. Stubborn and overly trusting, just like always."

Meg frowned slightly. "Well that was informative," she deadpanned.

Kristoff could only chuckle. "Hey, my lips are sealed. If you want the full story you can ask 'Gingersnap' over here."

Meg narrowed her eyes at the blonde, hoping he'd surrender to the power of her glare but he was surprisingly resilient. He stared right on back, so after a moment she conceded defeat and turned her attention back to Anna, who'd been watching the exchange with an amused smile on her face. She tightened her grip on the redhead's shoulders. "Well, you heard the man. Spill it."

Anna turned her head away, grinning mischievously. "No way. It's a secret."

Meg was surprised for a moment. In no time at all though her eyes grew playful, and the arm wrapped around the redhead's shoulders moved up to capture Anna in a head lock. She then proceeded to noogie the crap out of the girl who immediately began flailing around in her grip, the brunette's lips curled in a smirk. "Come on, tell me!"

Anna giggled as she struggled, fighting to escape the older girl's grip. "I said no! Now stop," laughter bubbled up in her throat as Meg switched from the noogie tactic to just simply vigorously ruffling Anna's hair. "You're messing up my hair!"

Meg chuckled and finally released the redhead. Anna immediately jumped away, hands flying to the top of her head to protect herself from further attacks. "Well good. I like your hair better down anyway."

Anna flushed and looked away. Kristoff watched the exchange curiously, a grin slowly forming on his face. He cleared his throat to get the two girls' attention, and when they both turned to him he extended a hand towards Meg. "I don't think we've been properly introduced yet. I'm Kristoff."

Meg looked down at his hand for a moment before smiling and offering her own. "Megara." As they shook hands the faintest of blushes dusted over Meg's cheeks when she quickly glanced at Anna out of the corner of her eye. "But you could call me Meg if you want. Any friend of Anna's is a friend of mine."

Kristoff eyed her curiously, releasing her hand before once again crossing his arms. "Yeah, you're that chick that always skips class. Didn't you cuss out the gym teacher last week when he told you to run a mile with everyone else?"

Meg crinkled her nose in distaste. "Don't even mention Mutton Man. He's such a perv, always staring at us when we're doing our stretches." All of a sudden her eyes widened and she turned to Anna. "He's never creeped on you, has he? Because if he has I swear I'll-"

Anna just raised her hands in a calming gesture. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure the fact that Hans is my older brother is enough to keep anyone from getting any ideas."

Meg looked concerned for a moment more before nodding to herself and folding her arms across her stomach. Her eyes softened, a sad frown tugging at her ruby-painted lips. "Any news on Hans? Are they going to give him back his visitation rights?"

Anna's eyes fell to the floor, full to the brim with sadness. "I don't know. I mean, I was there two days ago and the orderlies told me that he was still… being difficult. He almost started another fight. I think it might still be a while before I get to see him."

"Oh Gingersnap, I'm sorry." Meg pulled Anna in for a hug, resting her cheek on top of the other girl's head. Anna returned the hug gratefully, arms wrapping around the brunette's waist. When the redhead's words went through her head again however, lavender eyes snapped open and she pulled back. Her hands were on Anna's shoulders, keeping the shorter girl in place an arm's-length away. "Why on earth were you there Wednesday? If Hans hasn't gotten his visitation rights back yet, then…" she trailed off, confused. It didn't help that Anna immediately blushed bright red and began to fumble for an excuse.

Kristoff butted in before the redhead could save herself, however. "See, this where the 'Gingersnap getting hurt' thing comes into play."

That did it. Meg narrowed her eyes and fixed Anna with a stern glare. "Anna. Spill. Now."

Anna gulped, looking to Kristoff for help but he only raised his eyebrows at her expectantly. Eventually she sighed and turned her eyes back to Meg's. "I've… kinda been visiting someone else at the institute for a while. Like, at least a month I think? Anyway, um… her name is Elsa and she's really sweet and completely harmless, but she doesn't speak. That's why she's in there. I mean, not speaking doesn't necessarily make her a psycho, she's really not a psycho at all! I think she's just scared of something but yeah, she doesn't talk. But I go and visit her and I talk to her and well… I met her parents and they saw us together. Apparently since I've started visiting Elsa's been a lot better, and I guess in thanks her parents invited me to come stay with them for a few days and attend this Spring Ball thing that they're having. Mrs. Helland's even having a dress made for me! It should be a lot of fun and I'm excited to see Elsa's house but Kristoff thinks I'm in over my head because he's an idiot and it's really not a big deal!"

Meg could only stare at her blankly, mouth open slightly but no words came out. Anna waited for a response, one eyes closed ever so slightly in a wince as she waited to be yelled at for the second time that day.

"So… this Elsa girl, she doesn't speak?"

"Uh… no?"

"Do you know why?"

"…no?"

"And, you're… going to stay with her family at their place, just, you know, casually? Like, hey I'm totally cool with living with a mental patient who I've only known for a month? Totally no big deal?" Anna could only shrug helplessly. Meg just groaned and turned her head to look at Kristoff. "And you approve of this?"

"No. But Anna's got her heart set on it."

Lavender eyes once again met turquoise and Meg was silent for a while. Eventually she sighed. "You said this girl is harmless?" Anna nodded vigorously. "Fine. Then prove it."

Anna's brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait, what?"

Meg released the redhead's shoulders and stood up straight. She put her hands on her hips and tossed her head before staring back down at a very confused Anna. "I want to meet this girl. If I think she's a weirdo, you're not going. If she's as sweet as you say, then fine. I won't stop you. The party does sound like fun after all, so I'm not _completely_ against it. But I will be meeting her. I need to at least know what she looks like so, just in case you go missing or end up hurt, I have a face to put to the name I'll be holding responsible."

"But, Meg she doesn't talk! She can barely look at other people! What are you expecting from her?"

"Nothing. If that's how she is, then fine. But I'm not going to let you spend a weekend with strangers without a fuss. I mean, have you even called your uncle to tell him about this?"

Anna flushed bright red. "Um... well, no."

Now Kristoff was shocked. "Wait, your uncle, your legal guardian, doesn't even know? Did you seriously just make this decision on your own? What about Rapunzel? Please tell me you at least texted your cousin!"

"...uh, I mean... I _can_ text her I guess."

Kristoff groaned and smacked his palm to his forehead. Meg sighed as her eyes slid shut she and crossed her arms. "Anna, look. I'm not trying to be controlling or anything, I'm just worried about you. It's not like I'm going to threaten the girl or anything; she's obviously sensitive and I know that I can be a bitch but I'm not _heartless_." When Meg opened her eyes back up they were actually sad, and Anna immediately felt bad.

The redhead frowned and was silent for a moment. Finally she groaned and held up her hands in surrender. "Fine, I'll call Gerda and tell her what's going on. She's one of the orderlies at the institute. If she says you can meet Elsa, you can come with me on Wednesday; that's always when I see her. But I swear Meg," she fixed Meg with a stern glare and refused to let up even when the brunette actually took a nervous step back, "if you do something stupid or mean to make her sad, I won't forgive you."

The two stared at each other, Anna's eyes determined whilst Meg's were slightly hurt. Meg looked away first.

"Fine." Her tone was curt and clipped. "Wednesday then. I'll be nice. Now I've got to go, my father's picking me up so we can get my bike back from the shop." With the finality in her voice clear, Meg turned on her heel and walked away, ignoring Anna calling after her.

She was kind of pissed.

_I try to be a good friend and she gives me crap for it._

She made it to the stairwell at the end of the hall and had just started to descend when the sight of Hercules climbing up them made her freeze. His eyes were downcast so it took a second for him to notice her, but when he did his head snapped up, blue eyes wide.

"Meg…"

Meg frowned and looked away. "Wonderboy."

"Meg I…" Hercules climbed up to the stair she was standing on, trying to meet her eyes. "Look, can we please just talk? I'm sorry, whatever I did I'm sorry! Please, just… let me make it up to you. I'll do what I have to, I just…" he reached for her hand. "I miss you."

The second his skin touched hers she flinched away. Her head snapped up and her eyes were narrowed, the anger in them causing Hercules to immediately withdraw his hand. "Oh, you miss me? It sure as hell didn't seem that way when all of those idiots on the football team finally stopped making fun of you; the second that happened you dropped me like a newborn giraffe. You spent every waking moment with them, God… you _turned_ into one of them and it's disgusting. Tell you what, Wonderboy, you want to make it up to me? Why don't you stop being a jackass and go back to being the Hercules I knew! Because the person you are now, making fun of people who aren't as big as you or as strong as you, helping the football team give Anna hell because of what her brother did, is someone I have no desire to associate with."

And without so much as a second glance, Meg pushed right past him and continued on down the stairs.

She ignored the urge to look back.

* * *

><p>It was Wednesday again.<p>

_Finally._

Elsa was bent over her desk, trying desperately to finish her latest work before Gerda came to collect her for Anna's visit. She was drawing in her black sketchbook this time, and she'd been in this position for at least an hour. Her hand was cramping and most likely covered in graphite, but she was so intent on finishing her work that she didn't even notice. Her hand flew across the page, pencil clutched tight in her firm grip. Her blue eyes were narrowed in concentration, darting to and fro across the page, almost faster than her hand could keep up.

This was the routine every time she felt the need to bring out the black book, and she'd been using it with increasing frequency. The other day she'd been flipping through the pages and after seeing just how much she'd needed it in these past few weeks she was afraid that soon, she'd run out of pages.

After a while her hand paused and she blinked down at the page. A gentle smile spread across her face and she nodded. The blonde put the pencil down and leaned back in her chair. Her eyes never left the page.

_I can't wait to see Anna. _

A smile grew on her face at the thought of the kindhearted, beautiful redhead.

_She's getting better at picking truffles… the last one was delicious. Rum, I think it was? I wonder what that must say about my personality…_

Elsa cocked her head and hesitated before reaching out to gently stroke the drawing that lay before her, her hand no longer quite so steady as it followed the curves she'd created. As her eyes did the same, a warm blush rose both in her cheeks... and farther south.

_What might Anna think if she knew? If I wasn't so helplessly nervous of everything I do whenever we're in the same room together maybe I'd have a better handle on the situation. It's hard enough to control myself when we're being supervised… how am I going to handle being alone with her at home? True, mother probably won't let either of us out of her sight during the day, but at night…_

She was lost in her own head now, mind unaware of the gently pulsating heat that had taken root in her lower abdomen.

_At night… that's an entirely different story. We'll be in separate beds, but the thought of her _in _bed so close by… and the party! Oh God she's going to look beautiful. I'm sure that mother will be taking care of her dress so she's going to be absolutely flawless. I wonder what it'll look like. Off the shoulder, maybe backless… I wonder how far those tantalizing freckles go…_

Her breath hitched and she brought a hand up to her mouth, her other hand having frozen in place, the single finger that had been stroking the drawing still pressed against the paper. She bit down on her thumbnail, desperate for something tangible to distract herself with.

_Anna..._

_I was so close last week. So __close and she was right there... if only they'd all taken just a moment longer in the hallway. I was already halfway there, she wouldn't have had time to pull away... oh Anna. She, Anna wouldn't have cared; she would've just chalked it up to my eccentricity and laughed it off. _

_And I would have gotten to _finally _know what she tastes like._

The warmth between her legs had spiked violently at the thought and Elsa's mouth opened in a silent gasp. The blonde crossed her legs, a desperate attempt to force down the pleasurable pressure building in her core. Her eyes shut and she hunched over, the hand resting on her sketchbook clenching into a fist as her forehead pressed against the paper.

_Stop! Control yourself! Conceal it, don't feel it. Gerda will be coming to get you soon, no one can see you like this._

_Especially not Anna._

The blonde tried to take a few deep, calming breaths, but different visions of Anna in scandalously low-cut or revealing gowns kept flashing through her mind, each more arousing than the last.

When the image of the beautiful redhead garbed in the most revealing dress yet, a deep, magenta gown, off the shoulder and dangerously low cut, flashed behind her eyes, it wasn't set in the ballroom, like the others had been. It was in her room. In her _bed._ And Anna, dear, darling Anna, was gazing up at her with a sinfully lusty look to her turquoise eyes, lips curled in a smirk. Her hair was down, as Elsa had been dreaming of seeing it, splayed across Elsa's pillows like waves of molten copper.

Elsa clapped her hand over her mouth, eyes clenching shut even tighter as she tried to send the image away, to get it out of her head. The heat between her legs was painful now, tight and hot but oh so _delicious…_

_concealdon'tfeelconcealdon'tfeelconcealdon'tfeel_

It was futile, though. Her mind was running rampant, as it tended to do when she allowed her self-control to slip. A thing that she'd been doing far too often, as of late.

And when the sultry Anna she saw in her head raised a hand, a single finger curling in a hypnotizing 'come hither' motion, Elsa gave in to herself... and her free hand began to slowly creep towards the waistband of her leggings.

_I-I... I have time, Anna's not here yet, I-I can-_

A knock at her door signaled Gerda's arrival. Elsa froze. Her eyes shot open. The tips of her fingers had just dipped under the first inch or so of material, her skin (just like always) cool to the touch.

The thought of what she'd just been about to do, right before Anna's visit, hit her full force. True, it wasn't like this sort of thing hadn't happened before, but to risk it in broad daylight, moments before she'd be seeing and hugging and smiling at the girl whose face she saw in her mind, whose body she imagined exploring when she committed these sinful acts...

_You're insatiable. It's disgusting._

_Anna is innocent. She's pure, she's an angel. It's the only explanation for her kindness and patience with you and your inability to function like a normal individual. But here you are, using her to fulfill your perverse, carnal fantasies._

The prick of tears gathering forced Elsa's eyes shut and she ripped her hand away from the waistband of her pants, bringing it up to her chest to cradle it with the other.

_But they're not perverse! It's, it's normal! Anna feels it too! I know she does! She, she... I'm sure of it!_

_...aren't I?_

The sounds of keys turning in the lock on her door caused her to shoot up, back ram-rod straight as her eyes went wide in panic. They flashed to her still-open sketchbook and she lunged for it, slamming it shut and shoving it under the other books she had piled on her desk. The discomfort she felt between her legs caused her to squirm, wishing she had time to change clothes, but before she knew it the door was opening and Gerda was coming in.

So what else could she do? Nothing.

Elsa put her mask in place.

"Good afternoon, Elsa. Anna's here now, shall we go see her?" She rose without a word and left the room. She stood with her hands folded across her stomach, eyes on the floor as the old woman locked the door to her room and moved past her to lead her to the visitor's lounge. She followed blindly, though her steps were shaky. "You're not usually this lackluster when Miss Christian visits, are you feeling under the weather, dear?"

Elsa fought the urge to sneer. _I__ hope you're not expecting a response._

And it was clear that the old woman did not, for she kept right on talking. "Well, I suppose I'll know for sure when you two see each other. If the sight of her isn't enough to get you smiling again then I will definitely know something's wrong. Oh, and I'm going to warn you ahead of time: Anna's brought a friend."

Elsa stopped walking.

…_what?_

Though the orderly's words were polite, Gerda didn't sound happy about this information at all. "A lovely young woman, a bit coarse perhaps but charming nonetheless. Be sure to be polite, do you understand? Well, here we are, I'll leave you to it."

Elsa blinked, realizing that they were indeed at the end of the hall. She stumbled forward the last few steps, still thrown by Gerda's words.

_A friend? I don't…_

"There you are, Elsa!"

The blonde looked up and she immediately calmed at the sight of Anna standing in the visitor's lounge, waving at her. She stepped through the threshold and into the lounge, eyes never leaving Anna's.

_Anna..._

She wanted to jump into the other girl's arms, to let Anna's warmth chase all of her fear and shame away. The memory of what she'd almost done no more than five minutes ago however, kept her back. She was afraid, afraid that Anna might somehow be able to tell if they got too close. Out of habit, her hands came up to grip her braid, fingers digging in.

Anna's eyes immediately widened, and Elsa mentally berated herself.

_Idiot. Now she knows something's wrong._

"Elsa? What's wrong?"

_Oh Anna, if only you knew. If only I could tell you._

She was aware of another person's presence in the room with them, seated at a table. The air this other person gave off was not pleasant, it was tense and laced deep with suspicion. Elsa was suspicious herself.

_The old woman warned me that we wouldn't be alone. Why, Anna? I want you to myself. I hate myself for it, I hate myself for wanting more when you already give me so much... but it's the truth. Why is there someone with you, Anna? Surely it's not someone here for me, who would want to see me? I still wonder why _you _do sometimes. I'll never stop wondering what you see in me that's worth spending time with._

_I'll always be afraid that one day you'll realize I'm not worth your time... and then you'll leave._

Her eyes had fallen to the floor, entire form slouching as despair made it's presence clear in her expression. Anna saw this and frowned, coming closer and reaching for pale hands. Elsa thought about pulling away, entertained the idea for a split second, but Anna's touch immediately erased all doubt from her head and she was intertwining their fingers in an instant. The warmth she felt from such intimate but simple contact never failed to calm her. Elsa stared down at their intertwined hands, admiring the way that Anna's sun-kissed skin complemented her own. The despair melted away and her body relaxed.

_I've had nothing for so long... but right now, I have her. I have you, Anna. And so for as long as I have you_,_ however long that is, I will treasure you._

Her eyes slid shut and she leaned forward to rest her forehead against Anna's. Anna smiled in response, gently squeezing Elsa's hands.

"I'm here, you're okay."

Blue eyes opened, the tenderness in Anna's voice palpable enough to bring a gentle smile to Elsa's face. There were no perverse thoughts now, just the simple joy of being close to the girl she adored. But when Anna pulled back and giggled, Elsa cocked a brow in confusion. Her eyes narrowed however, when she noted the streak of grey in the center of Anna's forehead. What was that?

Anna giggled again at the expression on her face. "Elsa, were you drawing or something? You're covered in pencil. It's all over your forehead!"

_All over my... _and she remembered curling in on herself in her bedroom, forehead pressed to her open sketchbook. _Oh._

"Hang on, I got it." And Elsa's cheeks were set aflame when Anna licked her thumb and brought it to Elsa's forehead, attempting to clean away the graphite. The feeling of Anna's wet thumb against her skin was not doing _anything _to help her keep her libido in check, but for Anna's sake she tried to struggle through it. She forced her eyes shut and held her breath, waiting for Anna to finish. Finally, after an eternity filled with gentle, teasing caresses, the redhead pulled away and Elsa let loose a shaky exhale. Opening her eyes, the corner of her mouth tugged up in a lopsided grin at the sight of Anna's proud face staring up at her forehead.

"Alright, now you do me."

Elsa's jaw went slack, the heat in her cheeks practically searing as it spread to her ears.

_A-Anna? _

Anna just rolled her eyes. "Come on. I can feel it on my forehead but can't see it, so it's your job to get it off. You're responsible for it, after all."

_But, but..._

Anna must have noticed her discomfort, because her eyes softened and she reached for Elsa's right hand. "Elsa, you don't have to be nervous or anything. I trust you."

Elsa blinked down at her, searching for the slightest sign of fear, or disgust... but she found none. So, with her heart pounding in her chest, she raised a shaky hand to her mouth, tongue darting out to lick her thumb. She hesitated before reaching out and pressing it to Anna's forehead, shuddering ever so slightly at the contact. Anna just closed her eyes and waited patiently, the remnants of a gentle smile softening her face. As Elsa cleaned away the offending graphite, her eyes danced across Anna's face, counting every lash and admiring every freckle. She cocked her head when she saw the white line of a faded scar just above the girl's right brow, curious as to where it might have come from.

When she finished cleaning, her thumb lingered for a moment before she pulled away, her cheeks still hot. Anna smiled up at her she looked away, embarrassed, but she couldn't stop the smile that grew on her own face.

"See Meg? I told you Elsa was a sweetheart!"

_Meg? Oh, right. The stranger._

The smile immediately fell from Elsa's face.

"Easy, Gingersnap, don't have a hernia."

_Gingersnap? _The sound of the other girl's voice using such a _disgusting_ nickname for Anna put Elsa on edge, teeth gritting as her hands came up and she gripped at her braid. _What right does she have to be giving Anna _pet _names?_

Elsa kept her eyes on Anna, who had turned to face her 'friend' with her arms crossed. "I'm _not_ having a hernia… I don't even know what that is. I'm just happy to see her, that's all!" Elsa felt the grin coming and dragged her braid across her lips to hide it. God forbid this stranger saw it. Anna had turned back to her and put a hand on Elsa's shoulder, leaning in close. "I'm sorry Els," she whispered. "But she insisted. She's one of my best friends, and she said that she had to meet you before she let me stay at your house. Being stupidly overprotective, I guess. Is that okay? I... I can make her go away if she's making you uncomfortable."

_That, I suppose that makes sense. But just who does she think she is? Anna's mother? Anna's protector? Please. _

_...that pet name says something more than just 'concerned friend'._

The implications of that thought had Elsa fighting to keep back an angry sneer, but she couldn't keep her eyes from narrowing dangerously. Anna didn't notice it; her eyes were back on this Meg girl. The two were talking, but Elsa's mind was busy imagining the lengths to which their relationship extended and she could barely register what they were saying. Meg's words were curt but didn't sound unkind, though Elsa couldn't help but feel the need to roll her eyes whenever the other girl opened her mouth. _Even her voice is aggravating. _Better to listen to Anna, who was arguing her case about something, and rather adorably at that.

Anna was the only one who mattered. What this stranger thought of her was irrelevant.

_But wait, didn't Anna say something about this weekend? _

Elsa's eyes widened as she remembered why exactly this other girl was here. Elsa needed her approval. If she didn't get it, Anna wouldn't be able to come home with her. Elsa would have to attend the party alone, she'd be in that giant, empty house _alone..._

...she wouldn't get to see Anna in the dress.

The blonde gulped, shoulders tensing. That couldn't happen. Elsa reached out and put a hand on Anna's arm, and the redhead immediately stopped her arguing and turned back to Elsa. Her eyes widened when she saw the fear rampant in Elsa's eyes and she immediately covered the blonde's hand with her own. "Elsa?"

_What can I do? What do I have to do?_

As the two continued to gaze at each other, something in Anna's mind seemed to click and an understanding smile spread across her face. "Elsa," Anna removed her hand from Elsa's, but before the blonde could miss the contact she raised that same hand to cup Elsa's cheek, a light blush dusting across her face when Elsa immediately shut her eyes and leaned into the touch. Anna's thumb brushed against the soft skin beneath it and Elsa's heart, which had begun beating rapidly from the fear, started to calm. "You don't have to prove anything to anyone. I trust you, that's all that matters. I know that you'd never hurt me; I don't understand why everyone's making such a fuss."

_Oh Anna..._

Elsa wanted to hiss in frustration when the stranger cleared her throat, successfully breaking the moment. Anna pulled away and sent Meg a questioning glance, but the girl had her arms crossed and her eyes closed. Elsa still refused to look at her, but she could feel the... resentment? No, not resentment... irritation? No,that wasn't it. Whatever it was, the way it seemed to be rolling off of this girl in waves had something dark and cruel wriggling in delight somewhere deep in Elsa's mind. Anna was oblivious to it of course.

"I think I've seen enough, Gingersnap. I get it, she's 'adorable'." _Now why do I get the feeling that left a bad taste in your mouth? _"Probably couldn't hurt a fly if she tried." The stranger sighed then, and Elsa felt excitement bubbling up inside her.

"The point is... I suppose you'll be fine if you go with her this weekend. It'll be... fun. Guess that means I'm satisfied."

Elsa felt relieved (extremely so) and, for some reason, disgustingly pleased with herself. The pleasant feeling of Anna pressing against her side, wrapping her up in a hug as she squealed in delight, was the icing on the cake. Elsa allowed herself a small smile, though if she were to be honest with herself there would have been an ecstatic grin spreading across her face from ear to ear. She wrapped her arms around Anna and pressed her face into sweet-smelling hair, hiding the look of triumph threatening to break free.

"Oh, wait, I lied." The two girls froze. "This is just a little thing but, how old are you, Elsa?"

Elsa raised her head from Anna's hair and blinked in surprise. She hadn't been expecting that. She felt Anna pull back, and when she looked down Anna's head was tilted back ever so slightly so she could look Elsa in the eye. The alarmingly short distance between their faces had Elsa blushing once again, and she had to force her eyes to stay on Anna's and away from places that could lead to trouble.

Like her lips.

"You know, that's actually a good question. Why do I not know the answer to that?" Anna looked genuinely baffled. Elsa grinned and smiled affectionately at the redhead. She freed herself from Anna's grasp and held up her hands. Ten fingers first, then she pulled in the thumbs on both of her hands. Ten and eight. "Oh okay, so eighteen then. Wow, same age as you, Meg." Elsa couldn't stop the irritated twitch that momentarily rippled across her brow.

_Oh God, so we actually have something in common. Unpleasant. _

"Hm. I guess so." From the sound of the brunette's voice, she was having similar thoughts.

_Oh well. Let the friend brood. I still get to have Anna all to myself this weekend. I'm still the one that gets to see her in her dress, and not you. Too bad. I get the distinct feeling that it's something you would have enjoyed. _

_If only I could bring myself to care._

Elsa couldn't keep the smug grin off her face as she closed her eyes and once again enveloped Anna in a tight, slightly possessive embrace. The redhead grinned and snuggled right back, oblivious to the way Elsa had her eyes trained on the floor, not far away from where Meg was standing.

And Meg could only watch, eyes narrowed.

Elsa could finally put a name to the emotion she'd sensed earlier, which had only intensified the longer she spent standing with Anna curled into her side.

_Jealous, 'friend'?_

_But why ever so? After all, Elsa's 'adorable,' Elsa 'couldn't hurt a fly if she tried.' __Forgive me, dearest Anna, but..._

_...this stranger underestimates me._

* * *

><p><strong>Hey all. I redid this chapter because I wasn't satisfied with it the first time; I made the insight into Elsa's head a bit too abrupt, and looking back over the interaction between Elsa and Meg, it was a bit out of character in some places so I changed it. Hope you guys don't hate me!<strong>

**Much love, and thanks for putting up with me :)**

**-Cel**

**-Cel**


	16. Chapter 16

"You remembered to text your cousin, right?"

"Yeah, yeah jeez Kristoff calm down. As if I would forget."

"You actually totally would. I wouldn't be surprised if you were doing it right now." Anna froze, a blush lighting up her cheeks. The apartment phone was pressed between her ear and shoulder, while her cell phone…

_Okay. So maybe I did forget._

She really hated how well Kristoff knew her sometimes. Her lips curled down in a frown as she finished typing out the message she'd started writing, eyebrows drawn down in irritation. "Whatever, blondie. So what are you gonna do while I'm gone?" As Kristoff started going on about some new video game he'd just purchased Anna finished up her message and read back through it to make sure she hadn't been incoherent. That tended to happen sometimes, especially when she was angry about something. There had been times when Meg and even Kristoff had to call her, asking her to explain the garbled mess of what could have been an attempt at the English language that popped up in their inboxes.

Fortunately though, what she'd written seemed pretty easy to understand.

'_Hey cuz, tell Uncle Aron I'm spending the weekend with a friend so if he was planning to check in then he shouldn't freak out when I'm not here. Love you, tell Eugene I said hi!'_

Satisfied, she hit send. When she realized that Kristoff was still talking, she slipped her cell phone into her pocket and transferred the house phone to her hand so she could give her aching shoulder a break. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

She could hear Kristoff groan on the other end. "Of course you weren't paying attention. Well, whatever. So when's this lady coming to pick you up?"

Anna glanced at the clock on the cable box. "Um, well she said 3 and it's like 2:45 right now."

"Well I doubt a high class lady like that's gonna be even a minute late, so make sure you've got everything you need."

Anna rolled her eyes and plopped down onto the couch. "Yes, _mom._ Look Kristoff, I'll be fine. I've already got everything packed: clothes, toothbrush… I've got my phone charger and I'm even bringing my Nintendo so I can play Pokémon if I get bored."

"You still play Pokémon?"

"Oh please. As if you don't."

"Good point. Look Anna, I know I'm being a pain but I just want you to be careful. I don't want to get a call from Meg next week saying that you've up and vanished, because I already know that will not be a pleasant experience." Anna frowned at that and opened her mouth to question the boy, but he beat her to it and continued on. "We exchanged numbers because apparently it's become our job to look after you, and between the two of us it might just be possible to get you through high school. It could be worse; at least _she_ appreciates my sarcasm."

Anna snorted. "You should be happy, between the two of you I feel like I should have a doctorate in sass-decoding." She looked at the clock again and shrieked when she saw it was 2:56. "Oh gosh, she's gonna be here soon! Bye Kristoff, tell Bulda and Gran Pabbie I said hi!"

"Will do! And remember, don't do anything stupid!"

"No promises!" She heard Kristoff chuckle and she grinned before hanging up. Slipping the phone into the back pocket of her skin-tight jeans (the ones with the holes were comfier but definitely not sophisticated enough for the company she'd be keeping in a few hours), she hurried across the living room and down the hallway to her bedroom. Anna glanced down at the wooden floor and her grin stretched wider. She took a little jump and slid the last few feet to her bedroom door. Her sock-covered feet carried her just a bit too far however and she yelped, blindly reaching for the door frame as she tried to save herself from tumbling over.

Thankfully she was able to catch hold and keep her balance, letting out a relieved exhale as she steadied herself. Anna headed into her room and sat down on her bed, pulling on the brown combat boots she'd spent twenty minutes cleaning before Kristoff had called. The last thing she wanted to do was track dirt through the Helland's home, and though most girls hated getting mud anywhere on their person Anna had no such issue. Many of her shoes were victims of her carelessness, but she'd picked out these boots, a pair of black wedges, and her favorite old converse to clean and bring with her this weekend.

She was a bit nervous that the wedges weren't going to match or be fancy enough for the dress Mrs. Helland had made for her, and she was especially nervous about the fact that she didn't even know what the dress was going to look like. It wasn't like she couldn't wear dress; she could very well _rock _a dress if she felt so inclined.

It was just rare that she felt the inclination.

And the dress Mrs. Helland had prepared for her was probably floor-length, and that would be a first for Anna. As had the actual dress fitting she'd been forced to endure on Monday after school, now _that_ had been awkward. Mrs. Helland had sent her an address and so after school she'd headed to her car and driven straight there. When she'd arrived at the little dress shop she hadn't been too worried, but then a smiling Mrs. Helland had dragged her up to stand alone on a pedestal. An alarmingly short woman with thick glasses and black hair cut in a bob had appeared out of nowhere, eyeing her up and down, and as she'd circled around the flustered redhead like a drill sergeant inspecting his troops, poking and prodding at her with a rolled up newspaper of all things, Anna was convinced her entire body had turned pink from embarrassment.

Finally the tiny woman, Edna, if Anna remembered correctly, strutted back to Mrs. Helland's side. The older woman had a hand at her mouth, covering up the gentle laughter that had bubbled past her lips whenever Edna had struck Anna with the newspaper as punishment for moving. The two talked for a moment and then walked over to a desk that sat a respectable distance before the pedestal. Edna had then hopped up onto the stool and pulled a large pad of paper from within a drawer. She let it thump against the desk and flipped to a new page as she pulled a pen from the pocket of her fashionably-odd coat. High fashion would never fail to befuddle Anna.

She thought she'd been done but had been yelled at the moment she tried to step off the pedestal, Edna pointing the pen at her threateningly, beady eyes narrowed.

'_No moving!' _The tiny woman had yelled, staring at Anna for a moment more before all of a sudden the pen started to fly across the page. Anna watched in fascination, jaw dropping when Edna immediately ripped the page from the book, crumpled it up and threw it away. Catrine just kept her hands folded demurely before her, occasionally offering a quiet suggestion or pointing to something on a particular page. Edna would either wave her away or pause, considering Catrine's words, but each time it was only a moment before the pen started moving again.

Anna had strained to catch snippets of their muttered back-and-forth, but gave up sometime between the third or fourth piece of paper that Edna discarded. With a sigh she tried to entertain herself by looking at all of the dresses hanging on the racks and imaging what high-class lady would wear them, and where to.

After what felt like forever Anna found herself gazing at a ridiculously large, orange _circus tent_ of a dress, and as she struggled to imagine a woman crazy enough to wear it anywhere in the public eye she felt a hand on her arm. With a surprised shriek she jumped away, tripping on the edge of the pedestal and falling flat on her rear.

Mrs. Helland had gasped, apologizing profusely. Edna on the other hand had just snorted and strutted straight to Anna's side. As Anna had been rubbing at her sore rear, the short woman reached out to firmly grasp her chin, twisting her head this way and that. Anna protested; face flushing when Edna leaned in close to analyze her eyes. _'Hm… for such an awkward young thing you are quite lovely to look at. I don't think I've seen eyes quite your color before, and your hair is a natural auburn. Wonderful colors to work with, not quite drastic enough to have trouble finding fabric to complement them. I've had models that would pay thousands for either. Such silly little stick figures, they are.' _Finally the abrasive woman had pulled away and went back to her desk.

Mrs. Helland was immediately at Anna's side, offering a hand to help her up. Anna took it gratefully. Edna was clearly done with her, because when Catrine asked if the dress would be ready on time the designer just laughed and picked up her book, disappearing between two racks of dresses.

'_Nothing to worry about darling, it will be fabulous.' _

It had been the first time Anna had ever heard the word 'darling' used seriously in conversation. It had also been the first time she'd ever been swatted with a newspaper.

Anna couldn't help but smile fondly at the memory. _Yep, this has just been a week of firsts for me. _

Once Anna finished pulling on her boots she stood, eyes roaming around the room to make sure her electronics were all off and there was no food left anywhere; occasionally she ate meals in her room and decomposing leftovers were definitely not a thing she'd want to come home to on Sunday. Satisfied that her room would be fine alone for a couple of days (there may have been socks and clothes and other stuff on the floor but hey whatever), she grabbed her duffle bag and headed back out into the living room. As she walked she spun, eyes narrowed slightly as she checked things off in her head.

_Potentially smelly slash expired stuff out of the fridge? Check._

_Lights turned off? Check._

_Thermostat on the setting it's supposed to be when no one's home so our bill's not super high? Uh, check? Maybe? Eh, it's only two days, not a big deal._

"Okay… I think that's everything!" Anna stood with her hands on her hips and her duffle bag slung over her shoulder, grinning proudly at the relatively-clean living room. Her phone began to buzz in her pocket and when she retrieved it she found that Mrs. Helland was calling her. She answered the call and pressed the phone to her ear. "Mrs. Helland? No, no don't worry you're perfectly on time! Yes, I'm ready! Not gonna lie but I'm actually surprised that I am, I'm usually always running late. There was this one time in the fall that I was late for a history exam and the teacher was about to close the classroom door so I just started sprinting and I kind of knocked her over. Now _that_ was embarrassing, let me tell you!" She trailed off with a nervous chuckle, face falling as she pulled the phone away from her ear to smack a hand to her forehead.

_She doesn't need your life story, weirdo. God, you seriously need to find a self-help seminar, like Ramblers Anonymous or something._

She could hear Mrs. Helland chuckling and her face warmed as she put the phone back to her ear. "Oh, yeah I actually ended up acing the test. Thanks! Oh, yeah no I'll be down in a sec, you don't have to come get me. You can wait in the lobby if you want, it's air-conditioned! Not that it's that hot out or anything, it's only March after all and… yeah, you know what I'm gonna go because I know I'm rambling and it's really an awful habit of mine and I'm so sorry for being awkward. So uh, bye!"

She hung up and let out a huge sigh. God, she was ridiculous sometimes.

Anna grabbed her keys off the counter and headed for the door, grabbing her favorite green jacket from the coat rack and locking her door behind her, but not before giving the apartment one last once-over.

In no time at all she was in the lobby, and Mrs. Helland was smiling at her. The older woman was dressed as professionally as ever, hair pulled up in an elegant bun, makeup flawless. The violet pencil skirt and tailored white top she wore made Anna feel rather frumpy, but Catrine actually reached out to finger the material of her jacket, curiosity glittering in her eyes.

"This jacket is lovely, Miss Christian. Is it nylon? It complements your hair color very well."

Anna blushed, a hand running through her bangs. "T-Thank you, my brother actually got it for me about a year ago. I honestly have no idea, I usually just kind of throw it in the wash with everything else and so far it's been fine."

Catrine chuckled and withdrew her hand. "Well, it suits you very well. Shall we go? My husband is on his way to pick Elsa up right now, they should be meeting us at the estate not long after we arrive. Please, this way?"

Anna could only blink dumbly as she followed after the older woman. _Estate? _She gave Jim a little wave when he held the door open for them, smiling when he returned it with a lopsided grin. When she stepped outside she blanched at the sight of the sleek, shining silver sports car parked outside her building. _Holy oh my god that thing's probably worth more than me._

"You can put your bag in the trunk… are you sure that's all you're going to need?"

"Uh… yeah, I don't need a lot, just some clothes… my toothbrush…" Her eyes were transfixed on the car, and she jumped when Catrine clicked a button on her keys and the small trunk popped open. Anna fought the urge to run her hand along the car's perfect paint job as she moved around to gently set her bag in the surprisingly large space available. She hesitated before closing it, genuinely afraid that she might somehow break or scratch something. It wouldn't have been impossible for her. "So, wow Mrs. Helland I just have to say it… this car is beautiful. I didn't know cars could be beautiful but seriously, this is… it's so shiny and clean and... just, wow!"

Catrine smiled as she opened the driver's side door and settled in. Anna scrambled to the passenger side and plopped down into the leather (of _course_ it was leather) seat, thankful that she'd taken the time to scrub her boots clean.

"It will take about 40 minutes to reach the estate. You may play music if you so wish, nothing too loud, of course. I'm afraid I don't have any music disks, so you'll have to explore the radio."

"Oh, well alright! I might break something, but I'll do my best not to." Catrine cocked a brow in her direction but sent her a reassuring smile. Anna smiled back nervously before reaching out to fiddle with the radio. She searched for a good station while Mrs. Helland pulled away from the curb and they began their journey. Figuring that Mrs. Helland wouldn't want to listen to pop or country music, as were Anna's usual go-to's, she settled for a station that seemed to be having some kind of piano marathon. Piano was a pretty instrument, so Anna didn't mind the change of pace.

And as she settled into her seat she saw the soft, approving smile on Catrine's face. She felt mighty pleased with herself.

The two sat in comfortable silence, letting the soft sounds of the piano fill the car as they left buildings and streetlights for forest and trees. Anna looked out the window, admiring the view, the gentle hues of green all blurring together with the sky and the clouds to complement them.

But as she stared out the window, a sudden curiosity built up within her. Here was Elsa's mother, right beside her, who knew what Elsa had been like before the institute. She'd known her when Elsa had been able to speak. Maybe she'd be able to tell her a little more about Elsa, maybe it would help her understand the other girl a little bit more… maybe give her a hint as to why Elsa was the way she was now. Anna's eyes dropped to her lap and she began to twiddle her thumbs, fingers threading through each other as she bit at her lip. She cast a quick, nervous glance at Mrs. Helland, who looked calm and serene.

_Maybe I shouldn't bother her… _

But Anna was never one to be afraid. If Mrs. Helland didn't care to answer her questions, then she didn't have to. Anna wouldn't know if she didn't try. So, she took a deep breath and steeled her courage.

"Mrs. Helland?"

"Yes, Anna?"

Anna gulped, and she spoke the nervousness was clear. "I was wondering if, maybe you'd tell me a little bit more about Elsa? About how she was, you know, before the institute?" Catrine was silent, her brows having drawn together slightly. "I mean, y-you don't have to, I was just curious. I would totally understand if you didn't want to share, I wouldn't want to make you relive any bad memories…"

"It's alright, Miss Christian… Anna. Forgive me for the delay, that's just not a question I was expecting. I… I would be more than happy to tell you about Elsa's childhood." Anna's eyes widened and she fought to control the excited grin that threatened to stretch across her face.

Catrine breathed in deep through her nose, holding it for a moment as her eyes slid shut for a long moment. When they reopened they were serious, yet sad. "Elsa was a wonderful daughter. She never talked back, always polite… she rarely got into trouble and most of the house staff were absolutely infatuated with her. She was a bright child, always reading. There were nights when our butler, Kai, would come find me to tell me that Elsa had fallen asleep in one of the armchairs, pulled up to the fireplace, with a book splayed a cross her lap. I would always carry her to bed whenever this happened, tucking her in myself. If she woke I would sing her a lullaby." Catrine smiled at the memory, and Anna couldn't help the grin that tugged at her lips.

But when Mrs. Helland's eyes grew sad once again, Anna's brow furrowed. "But she was a lonely child. Very lonely. Our estate is rather isolated and our staff is growing old; there were never any other children for her to play with. Reading was all she could do. She was never very athletic and she didn't really enjoy being outside, especially when it was hot out. There were days she would just stand by the window and stare out at the grounds with the most forlorn of faces. I…" Catrine paused, her breath now shaky. Anna watched her as she seemed to struggle to get the next words out. "I found myself pregnant once again when Elsa was four, pregnant with a little girl. A little sister to care for and play with would have been the perfect thing to coax Elsa out of her shell, and she was so excited. I remember she would lay her head on my stomach and tell me how excited she was to meet her new little sister, her new best friend."

Anna saw that Catrine's eyes were growing misty and she instinctively reached out to lay a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder.

"All of us were so excited… Elsa, my husband and I. We had one of the spare rooms, the one next to Elsa's bedroom, turned into a nursery. She and my husband painted the walls, Elsa chose all of the colors herself, and I would sit in this little rocking chair and knit. It was the happiest we'd ever been." A single tear carved its way down Catrine's face and she shuddered, hands tightening on the wheel.

"I was six months along when I lost her."

Anna's eyes widened and she put a hand over her mouth.

_No…_

"I don't remember the details, I'm sure you know how doctors are. Big, soft words that try to cushion the ugly truth they represent. All I remember was that it hurt so much… I never got to see her. They tell me I passed out during the procedure. The pain of losing her, it carved itself into my very soul, and the heart of my family. I was broken, my husband was in despair. And Elsa…" Catrine's knuckles were white now, and her shoulders had begun to shake. "Forgive me, Miss Christian, but we'll be pulling over. It… it would not be wise for me to continue driving as I am."

Anna could only nod, hand still over her mouth as her own eyes began to mist over. Mrs. Helland pulled over to the side of the road and parked the car. The older woman then slumped into her seat, arms folding across her stomach as her eyes clenched shut.

It took a few shuddering breaths before Catrine could continue. "It... hurt Elsa the worst. She'd been so excited, so excited to _finally_ have someone, even if that would someone was just a baby. When I came home from the hospital Elsa ran straight to me and once she was sure I was alright she pressed her head to my stomach and asked how her little sister was." Catrine's knuckles were once again white as her fingers dug into the flesh of her arms, more tears escaping as her face screwed up torment. "I… I broke down right there in the foyer. I couldn't control myself… I crumpled to the ground and hid my face in my hands. Anton had to explain what had happened, for I was far too incoherent. I heard him though, I heard him say it. 'Your little sister won't be coming home, Elsa.' Oh God, the silence that followed! And then... and then I felt her little hands on my face, and when I looked up I felt like my heart had been ripped from my chest. Elsa, my dearest Elsa… only four years old and yet her eyes were so _sad, _so filled with quiet despair. But she looked me in the eye… four years old! She looked me in the eye and she said, 'It's alright, mother. It's not your fault. She's an angel now… isn't she?'"

Catrine shoulders shook violently when the first sob over took her, and Anna could feel the tears streaming down her own cheeks. She could just picture it, the innocent eyes of an innocent child, filled with so much sadness but so understanding, so unbelievably wise despite the pain of knowing what had been lost. She could just imagine little Elsa, her blonde hair in a carefully done up in a braid, maybe even a bun like her mother's, her face round with baby fat. She saw this little Elsa all alone in the library, losing herself in a book to forget. To ignore the sadness. The disappointment.

She saw tiny, frail little Elsa walking past what would have been her baby sister's room, her eyes trained on the floor because god forbid she look at that door and start crying for the best friend she'd never gotten to meet.

Or maybe she _would_ go inside, maybe one day when she was feeling brave. Maybe she would have sat on the floor, maybe with a book she'd brought from the library. Maybe she would have pretended to read to her little sister, the little sister she'd waited so patiently for. The little sister that she never got to see.

Anna saw it all. And it broke her heart.

"But, Mrs. Helland… Elsa was four then, right? Why… what happened when she was eight? Why did she stop speaking?"

Catrine's eyes were still closed, but she shook her head from side to side. Tears still continued to flow down her cheeks, dripping from her chin onto her blouse. She took a great heaving breath, trying to calm herself. "We, we don't know. Elsa was never the same after I lost the baby, but she wasn't like she was now. From that day until her eighth year, she was quiet but never silent. Shy and reserved, but… not a statue. It wasn't until that winter, Elsa's eighth winter, that everything changed."

Mrs. Helland had regained some control; though her eyes were still wet the sobs had quieted and her chest no longer heaved with the pain of remembering. "It was January, New Year's Eve in fact. We were having a party, and Elsa should have been in bed but it had started to snow. Elsa always loved the snow… she'd spend hours playing in it, making snowmen and snow forts. They were always beautiful. We hadn't had much snow yet that year, so when she saw the snowflakes she got so excited that she snuck out to play. But… the snow began to fall heavier and heavier, and no one knew she was outside. The maids all thought she was sleeping. Anton and I decided to head to bed sometime around midnight, and I wanted to check on her. Of course, when we went into her room and saw that her bed was empty, we were immediately terrified."

Mrs. Helland opened her eyes, red and puffy from crying. "We stopped the party and informed the guests of what had happened; we tried to call the police but by that point the snow was so bad that no one could safely travel the roads. Everyone at the party offered their assistance and we organized search parties… but we found nothing. The snow was falling so fast and so heavy that even her footprints were gone. Eventually, we had to give up. Even though it killed us to do it, we called everyone back in and offered them shelter for the night. I spent the entire night crying into my husband's arms. I was genuinely terrified that I was about to lose another child."

Catrine paused and Anna waited with baited breath, her hands clenched tight in her lap. "Morning came, and finally the roads were cleared and the police arrived. But it wasn't necessary, because just as they began to start their own search Elsa came walking up the driveway. Her hat and gloves were missing, her face was red from the cold… but she wasn't shivering. When we saw her, we were ecstatic. It was a miracle. However… we knew right away that something was wrong. She didn't respond when we called to her, didn't look up when we started to run towards her, and barely reacted when we wrapped her up in our arms. But we were so happy she was okay that for the moment, it didn't matter. To this day, we don't know how she survived the night. We don't know where she went or what she did, but something saved her from dying of hypothermia. It saved her life… but it didn't save everything."

Anna's eye narrowed in confusion and she opened her mouth to speak but Catrine turned her head and their eyes locked. Anna's mouth fell shut.

"At first, we just chalked it up to the shock. The numbness, the distant way she was acting, we assumed it was something she'd get over. After a week of silence, we grew worried. After two weeks, we were scared. After a month of silence, a month of no eye contact, no acknowledgement from our daughter… we called for help. Dr. Weselton, one of the therapists who works at the institute-"

"Yeah, h-he's my brother's doctor too."

"Dr. Weselton came to the house and spent the day observing her. He believed that it was simply a case of selective mutism, that we could help her through it. He'd dealt with children suffering from it before and was confident that we'd be able to help her get over it. We tried bringing her to a group he recommended that brought children facing similar difficulties together for group help sessions… but after observing the way she acted around the other children he feared it was worse than he originally thought. These other children, even though they were silent and shy, there was still emotion clear in their faces. They may not have smiled, but they could look you in the eye. If you gave them a book or a snack, some would take it. But Elsa… Elsa just sat in her chair and didn't move. She stared at the floor, ignored everyone, and when we came to pick her up she would follow without a word. It was… terrifying."

Mrs. Helland sighed, deeply. From her very core.

"We had her institutionalized roughly two months after she came home that snowy morning, silent and chilled to the bone. And ever since then, I've been dreaming of talking with her, of looking into those blue eyes and seeing the little girl that I used to sing to at night. I miss my daughter, Miss Christian." Catrine turned to her then, and smiled gently at her. The older woman raised a hand and placed it against Anna's cheek, thumb brushing away the remnants of tears. "And thanks to you, I feel that all of my dreams may soon come true."

Anna blushed under the attention, but smiled warmly at the older woman, whom she now had a deep, awed respect for. "And thank you, Mrs. Helland. For telling me all of this. I promise that I'm going to do all I can to bring your daughter back to you."

Catrine chuckled. "I know that you will. You may call me Catrine, if you wish. 'Mrs Helland' sounds so formal."

Anna's jaw dropped in shock. "I, I-I could never! It would feel so, oh God, t-thanks for the offer but I would feel more comfortable if I, um… but I don't want to make you feel old or anything, because you're so not! Seriously! I totally understand where Elsa gets her looks from, you're really pretty! You don't look old at all! Oh God, that sounded awful, I'm so sorry, I told you that I ramble and-"

Anna's face flushed bright red when Catrine began to laugh, hand coming away from the young girl's face to stifle the sound. "Oh Miss Christian, I can see why my daughter is so taken with you. You are quite a joy to be around."

_Taken with? What does that mean? _

"Oh but speaking of Elsa, I think our detour has lasted long enough. My husband has probably arrived home by now, and Elsa is most likely waiting for you. Shall we then?"

Anna could only nod, face still warm as Catrine started the car back up. Soon, they were on their way again, and it wasn't long before Mrs. Helland was pulling off the road and onto a long, winding driveway. Anna's jaw dropped at the sight of the massive white mansion perched atop the hill they were slowly climbing. If she'd known anything about architecture, she would have been able to describe it better, but of course she didn't. What would she possibly know about architecture? All she could think was _wow._

When they pulled up in front of the house Anna was ecstatic to see Elsa sitting on the steps that led up to the massive main doors, eyes trained on the ground. The redhead smiled so hard it hurt, and before the car had even stopped moving Anna was opening the door and jumping out of it, ignoring Mrs. Helland's protests.

"Elsa!"

That blonde head snapped up and the moment their eyes met Anna felt a fluttering in her stomach, a sharp tug at her heart. Elsa shot up, a smile of her own lighting up her beautiful face. Everything Mrs. Helland had told her in the car began to come back to her. Once again Anna felt the prick of tears, and she could tell her eyes were misting because Elsa immediately looked concerned, descending the steps with haste. Anna began to walk forward as well, strides getting longer and longer until she was running.

In no time at all Elsa was right there, and Anna threw herself into the taller girl's arms, burying her head against Elsa's shoulder. Elsa caught her, arms wrapping around the redhead's waist to hold her close, confused but happy to have Anna back in her arms. Elsa held the shaking girl tight for a moment, and when Anna pulled away her mouth pulled down into a frown. She wanted to wipe Anna's tears away, but before she could even think about moving Anna grabbed her face with both hands.

Turquoise eyes bored into blue, watery but fierce.

"You're beautiful." Elsa's eyes went wide, heat blooming in her cheeks. Anna's voice left no room for argument or reply; it was strong, it was serious, and it held so much emotion that Elsa could only stare at the girl she held in her arms in wonder. "You're beautiful and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

And as more tears began to fall Elsa could only cock her head, her eyes searching for a reason for this sudden outburst. But when Anna's shoulders began to shudder with a new wave of sobs, the blonde's face softened into a smile and she leaned forward, eyes closing as she pressed a kiss to the redhead's forehead. Elsa lingered for just a moment before she pulled Anna close again, guiding the shorter girl's head to the place where the blonde's neck met her shoulder.

And as Anna cried, Elsa held her, though she'd never truly understand that _she _was the one Anna was crying for.

* * *

><p><strong>I cried while writing this one, guys.<strong>

**And I don't if all of you know, but I made some changes to the last chapter. I wasn't really happy with it; I'm much happier with the way it is now.**

**I... seriously can't even tell you how grateful I am to all of you. I cannot believe all of the praise and kindness I'm receiving, and I am really, truly honored. Words can't express the joy I feel when I read your reviews, or see the messages you take time to write me. I read them all, I even re-read them. You are all wonderful human beings, truly.**

**-Cel**


	17. Chapter 17

After Anna's sobs had died down to quiet sniffles, she became aware of a few things.

One: Elsa wasn't wearing her usual, enormous, monster of a fleece sweater. Instead, Anna's cheek was currently pressed against a soft, thin material. And because this material was so thin, the redhead found herself physically closer to the blonde than ever before; she could feel the blonde's gentle body heat, wrapping her up in comfort. She could also feel Elsa's frame in its entirety, from the sharp cut of her collar bone to the soft swell of her chest pressing against Anna's own. Before now, the barrier of the blonde's thick sweater had kept Anna from realizing just how feminine a figure Elsa possessed.

Two: Elsa's hands were rubbing soothing circles against her back, one not far above the waistband of her jeans and the other just below her right shoulder blade. It felt _wonderful. _The blonde's nails would occasionally scratch against her top, and each time Anna felt the urge to hum in delight.

And three: Elsa smelled amazing. The redhead had never noticed it at the institute, maybe because the entire building constantly smelled uncomfortably sterile, but Elsa had a natural scent that reminded Anna of winter. Faintly cold and sharp, but comforting… and the faint traces of chocolate and lavender only helped to make the blonde's scent all that more appealing to Anna.

She sighed contentedly, nuzzling against the blonde's neck. With her arms wrapped around the taller girl's shoulders, Anna found her fingers brushing against the thick twist of Elsa's braid. She felt the urge to run her fingers through it at the same moment she realized she'd yet to see Elsa's hair done in any other way.

_I wonder what it looks like down… it's so thick I bet she totally gets bedhead. It's probably adorable. _

The image of Elsa sitting up in bed, eyes bleary from sleep, bangs sticking straight up in the air, curling and jutting out at the sides, made Anna giggle. She felt Elsa pause in her gentle ministrations. The blonde pulled back to look Anna in the eye, one brow cocked curiously. Anna just giggled again and brought a hand up to her face to wipe the remaining tears from her face. "Sorry, I was just picturing you with bedhead." Elsa blinked down at her in confusion. Anna just grinned. "Don't worry, it's totally cute."

Elsa's face lit up in a blush and she looked away for a moment, giving Anna the opportunity to analyze the other girl's outfit. The blonde was wearing a skin-tight, sky blue top. Halfway down the sleeves the blue began to fade into white, and there was about an inch or two of sheer material around the collar. This gave Anna a clear view of the gentle curve of Elsa's neck, and the cut of her collarbone. It also accentuated the other girl's bust, which to Anna's surprise was in fact bigger than her own.

But before the redhead had time to realize she was staring, Elsa's cheeks puffed out in a pout and her blue eyes grew adorably fierce. One of her hands came up and to Anna's surprise Elsa threaded her fingers through Anna's bangs and pushed them back to stand straight up. The redhead blushed and for some reason thought it might have been possible to see what Elsa was doing, so she went cross-eyed trying to look up at her forehead. When Elsa's shoulders shook in a silent giggle Anna sent the blonde a playful glare.

The blonde responded by sticking her tongue out.

And fire promptly bloomed in Anna's cheeks. _Oh my God what is she doing that's adorable._

Before she had a chance to respond in turn, the doors of the house opened and Elsa's father came outside. He paused when he saw Anna, bangs still held captive between Elsa's gentle fingers. The redhead's embarrassment skyrocketed and she raised a hand in a timid wave. To her surprise, Anton let out a hearty laugh. "Good to see you, Miss Christian! Will Elsa be styling your hair for tomorrow evening? Because I must say, that look is rather charming."

Anna glared at Elsa who was now grinning at her, eyes alight with mirth. The redhead shook her head from side to side and Elsa's fingers slipped from her hair. "As if! If I wanted a braid I could do it myself, thank you very much." She stuck her own tongue out at the blonde as she pulled away from the embrace, cheeks still pink. She missed the sly grin that stretched across Elsa's face, blue eyes dropping to Anna's rear as the redhead stepped around her.

Elsa's mother on the other hand, saw it all. Catrine's lavender eyes narrowed and she cleared her throat. She was pleasantly surprised when her daughter jumped, grin falling away as her eyes snapped to the floor. The matron pressed her lips together to hide her smile. She then glanced back at the car and hit the button on her keys to open the trunk. "Anton dear, would you mind getting Miss Christian's bag?"

Mr. Helland nodded with a smile and began to descend the steps, but Anna grew flustered and followed after. "N-no no! You don't have to! I can carry my own bag!"

Anton turned to look over his shoulder to give Anna a charming, fatherly grin. "Nonsense Miss Christian, you are our guest!"

Just then the sound of hurried footsteps descending the stairs grabbed everyone's attention. Both Anna and the Hellands watched in shock as Elsa quickly made her way down the stairs, head down. The blonde stepped around her mother and went straight for the trunk of the car, grabbing Anna's duffle bag and slinging it over her shoulder. Everyone saw the blush clear on Elsa's cheeks, so Catrine decided to make the moment as painless as possible for her clearly embarrassed daughter. "Well, that works just as well. You can show Miss Christian around the house then, Elsa dear. We've had a pair of rooms prepared for you both, in the west wing on the third floor. Dinner will be served at seven, and after that you two can have the rest of the night to yourselves. Tomorrow is the Spring Ball; our guests will begin arriving at eight. I expect both of you to be ready and present by nine."

Catrine watched her daughter bit her lip before ascending the stairs, brushing past her father to take Anna by the hand. The redhead was still pink in the cheeks, as was Elsa, and as their daughter proceeded to drag Anna inside the house the Hellands sent each other knowing grins.

"Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Helland! I promise I'll do my best not break anything, um… we'll see you at dinner!" Anna managed to wave one last time to both adults before they disappeared as the doors fell shut. Elsa continued to drag her along, but she couldn't have protested if she wanted to.

She was busy being awed by the beauty surrounding her.

If the outside of the house (_More like mansion,_ Anna thought to herself) was beautiful, then the inside was absolutely _gorgeous. _The walls were red and decorated with intricate golden patterns, stone columns so well-polished they almost looked white stood proudly at every corner, and the floor was absolutely flawless wood, the kind Anna could only dream of sliding on. There was a grand staircase in the center of the entrance hall they were currently in, and several hallways led off in different directions. An intricate chandelier hung above them, illuminating the room with a soft glow.

And there were paintings everywhere! Paintings of forests, of mountains, lakes, old buildings that looked like they came straight from a fairy tale… but there was one painting in particular that immediately grabbed her attention.

There was a fireplace on Anna's right; above it hung a portrait of what she knew immediately to be the Helland family. Anton stood with his shoulders square and arms folded behind his back, and Catrine was seated at his side, a demure smile on her face. Anna smiled softly at the sight of little Elsa, no more than three, seated in her mother's lap. Even then, it was clear that Elsa had been a shy girl. Her little body was tucked in close to her mother's, one hand clutching the fabric of Catrine's dress.

But there was a light in those clear blue eyes, a quiet delight at being surrounded by her family's love. The shy curve of pink lips betrayed the little blonde's excitement: the pride and giddiness that comes with being a child showered with attention and genuine affection.

Anna smiled, but then the thought of what would happen a year after this painting was finished caused her face to fall. Had that precious light in Elsa's eyes disappeared along with the life that had been so cruelly taken from this family? Had the love between parent and child, so clear in this painting, suffered?

She wondered if there were any more family portraits hanging up in the mansion. She wondered if she'd be able to see the change, the sadness hanging over all three of the Hellands.

It took Anna a moment to realize that Elsa had stopped walking.

Anna dragged her eyes away from the painting and turned to look at Elsa. The blonde was staring at her, concern written across her face, furrowing her brow. There was no other way to read her expression other than a genuine _'What's wrong?'_

Anna just smiled and shook her head from side to side. "Don't worry, it's nothing." When Elsa just continued to stare at her, Anna blushed. "I swear! So… anyway, this place is amazing! I had no idea you were rich! I mean, not that it's a bad thing! I know a lot of people like to think that being rich automatically makes you snooty, but I don't think it's true. I mean, your mom's awesome, she's really nice, and your dad too! It's funny, but I feel like it should have been obvious they had money… yet here I am, completely shell-shocked. I can't even imagine what it'd be like to live here…" Elsa cocked her head and gave the foyer a once over. The blonde then pursed her lips and shrugged, disinterested. Anna only rolled her eyes. "Alright fancy, I guess I'm just uncultured."

Elsa's eyes widened and she violently shook her head from side to side, reaching for Anna's other hand. She then squeezed them both, her eyes frantically apologetic.

Anna couldn't help but laugh. "Relax Elsa, I'm only kidding. You're just probably used to it, I mean you did grow up here after all." Elsa bit her bottom lip, eyes still unsure. Anna could only smile tenderly and shake her head with an exasperated sigh. "Alright, alright, stop looking at me like that! Apology accepted. Geez, with that look you could get away with murder."

Elsa blushed and her eyes fell to the floor. Anna grinned at the sight and leaned in to press a quick kiss to Elsa's cheek.

"You're too much sometimes. Now, why don't you show me around, Miss High-Class? Guess we should put my stuff down first though… I can carry that by the way, you shouldn't have to-"

Elsa, who'd up until that moment been paralyzed from the feel of Anna's lips pressing against her cheek, stepped away from Anna's outstretched hand. The blonde hid the duffle bag behind her back as her shoulders squared and her eyes took on this authoritative chill that Anna had never seen before. Elsa shook her head from side to side once, eyes firm. Anna shrunk back under the stare. "Uh, okay… y-you can carry it, I guess."

Instantly the chill was replaced by pleased warmth and Elsa smiled, nodding to herself. The blonde retook Anna's hand and once again began leading the redhead through the room. The pair began to ascend the grand staircase: Elsa calm and confident, Anna flushed and flustered. The redhead's eyes were on her feet, cheeks pink.

_I… I had no idea Elsa could be so… ugh, I don't even know what word I'm looking for._

It was different, letting Elsa take the lead. Usually the redhead was the one making plans, the one in control. Now however, Anna was in the dark. It was Elsa who knew where to go. Elsa made the rules. And Anna could only stumble along after her, trying to keep up.

Anna found that she didn't really mind.

…she actually kind of liked it.

* * *

><p>Elsa was thoroughly enjoying herself.<p>

She'd been pleased (but a little apprehensive) to see that her mother had conjoined rooms prepared for Anna and herself. Her parents had brought her home for visits before, but usually she just stayed in her own room on the second floor. Now however, most likely for Anna's own comfort, the two bedrooms were joined by a large bathroom complete with tub and standing shower. Elsa's room had a blue and purple color scheme, with a queen sized bed, vanity and wardrobe. Anna's was the same, but with a color scheme of bright pinks and greens.

A quick inspection told her that her parents had already specifically chosen which room belonged to which girl. Even though Anna had flopped down onto the pink bed with no hesitation after seeing both rooms, when Elsa had opened up the wardrobe in her own room she was surprised to find that it was already filled with her clothes, including a number of gowns she could choose from for tomorrow's ball.

The ball which she was both dreading and looking forward to with all her fragile heart.

On the one hand, she'd get to see Anna in her dress. The dress she'd been fantasizing about for the past week. Sure, she'd have to deal with being surrounded by people she didn't know or care to know anything about, but Elsa knew for a fact that with Anna around, interest in _her_ would die down the moment the beautiful redhead entered the equation. Anna was warmth and smiles. She captured everyone's attention and held it without trying. All Elsa had to do was stand back and bask in it, which she'd be doing from a very close distance at all times. Because if any of the other guests at this party _dared_ to lay a hand on Anna without the redhead's consent, there would be Hell to pay.

And Elsa would be the very willing collector.

On the other hand though, she'd be forced to spend the entire evening looking but not touching. Never touching… Elsa feared that if she did initiate contact, she wouldn't be able to pull herself away. She'd have to somehow manage to stay close enough to keep her role of over-protective (jealous) guardian and yet stay far enough away so that she wouldn't have the urge to trail a finger down bare, freckled arms or drag a hand across a petite waist.

Well, she'd have the urge regardless. She just needed to stay far enough away so that she wouldn't be able to act on it.

So for now, she was trying to get as much innocent contact in as she could before then.

After Anna had unpacked she'd asked Elsa for a tour of the house, and Elsa had obliged. With the redhead's fingers intertwined with her own, Elsa had led Anna all throughout the house. Each room they visited brought either a smile or a look of wonder to Anna's face, and Elsa watched it all with a smile. The pair stole some chocolate from the kitchens, ducking around the angry, French-looking chef and his ginger-haired assistant who were hard at work prepping food for tomorrow's party. Elsa showed Anna the library and, at Anna's request, the pair counted every book which Elsa had taken from the shelves and read at some point during her life.

And even though Elsa had left out some of the more… _risqué_ books, it had taken them almost an hour.

Anna's favorite room was the Portrait Room. To Elsa's amusement the younger girl had plopped herself down onto one of the couches for a 'break,' head propped up against one of the armrests, and spent ten minutes having an avid conversation with a portrait of Joan of Arc about the uncultured monotony of 'peasant life'.

"I swear Joan, it's just unfair. _My_ home doesn't have a grand staircase. _I _don't have a chef. _My _ceilings are horribly devoid of chandeliers." Elsa just rolled her eyes, perching herself on the armrest of the couch near Anna's feet with her arms crossed. "So here I am, amazed by everything, just really trying to take it all in, you know, maybe absorb a little bit of the finesse and grace. But Elsa, the ever-blushing, shy little Elsa we all know and love, well she just stands there with her nose in the air! Like she's seen it all before! So 'been there, done that' and it's infuriating. It's like she's _trying_ to make me look like a peasant!"

At that Elsa narrowed her eyes and glared down at the grinning redhead, who was staring right back at her with a teasing glint in her eyes. The sarcasm in her voice was clear, but still.

_She's teasing me again. And she calls _me _infuriating. Well, I suppose two can play at this game. No one's around, after all. Just an innocent bit of fun…_

A sly grin stretched across the blonde's face as she slowly slid herself down from her perch and onto the first couch cushion. She reached out a hand to brush across the redhead's bare ankle, and with wide eyes Anna took a sharp intake of breath and pulled her feet in towards herself out of reflex. Elsa paused for a moment, looking very much like a cat waiting for her cornered mouse to make a move, but when Anna just stared at her with wide eyes the blonde raised her eyebrows expectantly.

Anna blinked, but then the impish light came back into her eyes. "I'm telling you Joan, it's like she's messing with me. Like, is she the snowflake-cutting, chocolate loving goofball I thought I knew, or am I supposed to be calling her 'Your Majesty'?"

The blonde bit her lip.

_Oh… I _like_ that._

Elsa had one hand in her lap and the other arm draped across the back of the couch. The latter began to slide forward as Elsa raised herself up on one knee, leaning her body forward as Anna watched with wide eyes. After a point, Elsa had to bring her other hand up to brace herself, placing it down not far from Anna's waist, and the redhead gulped.

"B-because, I mean if I had to I wouldn't really mind, it's just that…" the arm Elsa had resting on the back of the couch was now directly above Anna's head. If she wanted to, Elsa could have stretched out her fingers and they would have brushed against auburn locks. The blonde's body was also now practically on top of the other girl, though Elsa made sure that no part of them was touching. After all, this was a match between teases, and she'd be damned if she lost.

_Not that I think I have much to worry about. _

The look in Anna's wide eyes was a mix of confusion, nervousness… and an undeniable note of anticipation. Even if she didn't know it, Anna _wanted_ their bodies to be touching. Elsa was sure of it.

…it was rare moments like these that Elsa both feared and treasured.

Moments where she was completely confident in her actions. Completely confident in the fact that Anna would never push her away. But a small part of her was still afraid; what if she pushed too far? What if she ruined everything with just one touch? One look? What if Anna grew afraid of her… _disgusted_ with her?

And the scariest thing about these moments was the fact that she had no control over them.

Even as her mind warned her to stop, the grin on her face grew ever more seductive, her body leaning so close that she could _feel _Anna's petite frame humming beneath her.

_God, she's so close. I could just… just an inch or two. That's all I need._

…_but that'd be too easy. This is neither the time, nor the place. When I kiss you, the first time I get to taste you… I want it to be special. I want it to be perfect for you… for us. _

_Anna… you have no idea how lucky you are. You have no idea how badly I want to just _take_ you right here, slowly… how badly I want to show you what a real tease is. _

Her eyes grew dark at the thought, topaz blue sinking deep into alluring sapphire, and Anna was helpless beneath her. The redhead's cheeks were red, breathing shaky.

And when she spoke, her voice was rough, husky. Elsa's fingers dug into the couch, her heart clenching in her chest, the delicious warmth she only felt around Anna thrumming through her veins. "Elsa, you… I, I-I need…"

_What, Anna? What do you need? I'll give you anything, I-I'll give you everything! Anna… the way you're looking at me, the way your voice sounds… right now, oh I'd give you the world. Anything… anything you ask, I'll do it. I'll find a way._

_Just, please… never leave me._

Elsa didn't realize she was leaning in until Anna screwed her eyes shut and shouted. "I-I have to go to the bathroom!"

Stunned, Elsa allowed the redhead to slip out from underneath her. The blonde was frozen, shocked, paralyzed. What just happened?

The sound of bodies colliding, along with a yelp of surprise broke Elsa free from her stupor, and she was up in a moment. Her face was drawn in worry, but as she hurried towards the door she had to clap a hand over her mouth to hold back the giggles building up within her.

In her desperate attempt to flee, Anna had thrown the door to the Portrait Open without looking and run blindly through it.

Unfortunately for her, there had been someone on the other side.

Anna and the Helland's butler, Kai, were both sprawled on the floor before her, each disoriented from the collision. The portly older man had a hand to his forehead, eyes clenched shut. Anna was rubbing at her sore rear, which Elsa guessed had taken the brunt of the fall. When Anna opened her eyes and saw the old man before her she gasped and shot straight up, hurrying to his side.

"Oh my God! I am so, so sorry sir! I-I didn't, I didn't watch were I was going and oh God, you're not hurt are you?"

Kai, to Anna's surprise, just chuckled. "Not at all, Miss Christian." The older man stood and dusted himself off. "In fact, I've never been better. It's been a long time since this house has seen such life. Tell me, are you always so… energetic?"

Elsa watched as Anna flushed bright red, a hand coming up to run through her hair. A habit. Something Elsa noticed that Anna did whenever she was nervous.

"I guess you could say that, though that's probably a major understatement. I'm really just incredibly awkward."

Kai smiled kindly. "You're not awkward at all, my lady. Your energy is rather charming, if I may be so bold. Very honest, very open." Anna only flushed brighter, eyes falling to the floor as she folded an arm across her stomach. "Now, if both of you would come with me, Mr. and Mrs. Helland are waiting in the dining room."

"O-oh, is dinner ready?"

"Yes, Miss Christian, now if you and Miss Helland would kindly follow me."

Elsa kept her eyes trained on Anna, smiling softly as she approached the redhead. Anna sensed her coming and stiffened.

Elsa's heart stopped.

_Did I go too far? Oh God, I went too far!_

Though on the outside Elsa remained unaffected, internally she was experiencing the beginnings of a breakdown. Her heart began to thunder in her chest, terror creeping up her spine.

And when Anna hurried after Kai, leaving her behind, she couldn't help the tremor that wracked through her body.

_Oh God, oh God… oh God! _

Her hands flew to her braid, teeth digging painfully into her bottom lip as her shoulders scrunched up to her ears.

_Idiot, idiot, idiot! You should have held back! She's afraid of you now, she's afraid! Every day we go over this: conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel! And what did you do? You did the opposite! _

Blue eyes were wide with panic, and she could feel the tears beginning to burn. She screwed her eyes shut.

_You've ruined it… ruined all of it. You were wrong. There was no way she'd ever-_

"Elsa?"

Her eyes flew open. Her vision was filled with the sight of concerned eyes staring back at her.

"Elsa, what's wrong?"

_A-Anna… _

Anna had ducked down to meet her eyes, hands folded behind her back. Her eyes were concerned but curious. When Elsa remained silent Anna frowned, straightened up and reached for the other girl's hands. Elsa immediately flinched away, terrified that she may have been imagining things, and that Anna really _had_ walked away. But when Elsa saw the look of hurt that passed through Anna's eyes, her face softened. For a moment she remained still but then, with shaky hands, she reached out and took Anna's hands in hers. The redhead didn't hesitate to lace their fingers together, and the pair was silent.

Eventually their eyes met once again and Elsa saw the turmoil reflecting back at her.

There was fear in Anna's eyes, fear and uncertainty. But not fear of her, never of her. Elsa knew that. The blonde was sure that, should the day ever come when Anna feared her, she would feel it. It would stab her through the heart and leave her bleeding on the floor.

No… Anna was afraid of something else. Elsa had a feeling she knew what it was.

The blonde turned her head to glance behind, back into the portrait room. Her brows knit together and she turned back to Anna, heat blooming in her cheeks. Anna's own cheeks darkened and she looked away. Silence permeated the air, awkward and stifling.

"Um… can we talk about it after dinner?"

Elsa's eyebrows shot up in surprise. That had been direct. Certainly not what she'd been expecting, and definitely more than she'd been hoping for.

After a moment, she nodded. Anna nodded back, and turned back around. Elsa felt the redhead's hands slipping away and she panicked, tightening her hold. She felt Anna pause and she could feel her heart threatening to resume its pounding, but when Anna failed to fight back a smile Elsa calmed.

And so Kai led them to the dining room. Their affair in the hall had made them late, and when they finally arrived Elsa's mother had been ready to scold them. The older woman had risen from her chair, ready to lecture them both about the importance of punctuality, but when she saw their intertwined hands and the shy glances they'd each send the other when they thought the other wasn't looking, she heaved a great sigh.

"Just make sure you're not tardy for tomorrow evening."

Dinner had been slightly tense for the blonde, but maybe that had just been her own fault. All she could think about was what would happen later that night, when Anna would most likely confront her about her inappropriate behavior. Anna however was clearly not worried, for she was able to joke and laugh just like always, sending her father into fits of laughter with anecdotes from her childhood. Even her mother was unable to keep a straight face, and when her parents began to share their own Elsa felt that she'd never be able to recover from the retelling her five-hour strike in her homemade pillow-fort when she was three.

All because her mother had tried forcing her to eat broccoli.

_Oh well, at least Anna found it amusing._

In all honesty though, dinner was actually pretty enjoyable. Granted, it was hard not to enjoy herself when Anna was around, but for some reason the fact that Anna got along with her parents so well (and vice versa) warmed her heart. She actually found herself glancing up once or twice when her father laughed or her mother hid a demure chuckle. All when they weren't looking, of course.

And after dinner had been cleared away and her parents had bid them goodnight, Elsa found herself seated before the vanity, staring so intensely at her reflection that she was surprised the mirror hadn't cracked. She'd bathed, brushed her teeth, and donned a soft silken nightgown. She'd missed being able to wear whatever she wanted, but when she was at the institute she always felt the need to make herself as small as possible. Her big blue sweaters… they kept her safe. They offered her shelter from the white-washed halls and the strangers with their fake smiles. Ignoring them all was so much easier when she could hide her hands in her sleeves, when the weight of the fleece felt like a shield against the outside world.

She didn't need any of that here though. Not in her own home. Here, she could dress as she pleased. She didn't need to hide herself from her mother and father, she knew them. True, she hadn't been able to look either of them in the eye for 10 years, but she knew them.

And she knew Anna.

_Anna…_

Elsa's hands tightened into fists in her lap, shoulders tense.

What would Anna have to say? Would she be gentle, like she always was, and smile as she unknowingly crushed Elsa's heart? Would she call the blonde out on her behavior, demand an answer that Elsa wasn't ready to give?

Probably not. Anna was too good for that. But still, the thought of it terrified her.

A knock at the bathroom door signaled the redhead's arrival. Elsa turned to look over her shoulder, breathing out through her nose before rising. She crossed the room quickly, unwilling to make Anna wait. But when she got to the door and reached for the knob, her confidence vanished. She stood completely still, face expressionless.

"Elsa?"

It was muffled, but Elsa could hear the hesitation in the other girl's voice. Anna was just as nervous as she was. So with a shaky breath, Elsa reached forward those last few inches and grasped the door handle. She pulled it open and Anna was waiting for her, a pillow clutched to her chest. Elsa gave the girl's plaid pajamas a brief once-over before averting her eyes because God, Anna was adorable.

The redhead stepped past her and Elsa let the door fall shut. Anna didn't hesitate to plop herself down on Elsa's bed, pillow still clutched tight to her chest. Elsa folded an arm across her stomach. When she just continued to stand there, staring blankly into space, Anna patted the spot beside her.

"Come on, Elsa. You don't have to be scared."

_Yes I do. I have to be terrified._

But her body did as Anna wished, and Elsa found herself sinking down into the softness of the mattress, right by Anna's side. The redhead watched her do it, eyes calm and clear whilst Elsa's were dazed and afraid, fixed firmly on the sheets between them.

"Elsa, I… there's no easy way to say this, but I guess you could sorta say I realized something today. I've had some hints already and I feel kind of a stupid for not realizing it earlier, but…"

_Oh no, oh no, this is going exactly as I feared it would. Oh Anna, please… just please find a way to forgive me. I-I don't mean to be this way. I need you, I-I need you in my life, please don't let this scare you away. I can fix it, I'll find a way to get over this! I've been hiding all my life, I can hide for _you_. If it keeps you close, then…_

"…but I realized today, that I don't know you at all."

Elsa's head shot up, eyes wide with shock. Anna was the one staring at the sheets now, her eyes sad. "Until today, I always kind of thought of you as a sweet little kid. I taught you how to make snowflakes, you drew me things… and even though I don't regret any of it, it hasn't taught me anything about _you._ I don't know what your favorite color is, even though I'm pretty confident that it's blue… but I don't know what kind of books you like to read, or what foods you like. Elsa I didn't even know how _old_ you were! And I've known you for months! That's just… awful of me! You're a person; you have a world that's completely yours, complete with likes and dislikes."

Elsa knew her jaw was slack, her shoulders slumped. Here she'd been thinking that all of this talk would be about her and her _feelings,_ but not in a situation such as this. She hadn't expected Anna to start _crying_ over-

_Wait, she's crying?_

Elsa immediately reached out to cup Anna's cheeks, thumbs brushing away tears.

_Anna, why are you crying? Stop, you don't have to cry…_

"I, I hate that I've spent all this time completely oblivious to what you were feeling. I… today in the portrait room, a-and before, when your parents came to visit you at the institute that day you… you're not a child. You're two years older than me, for crying out loud. You, you can feel things just like I can… probably even more than I can! You've got so much love in your heart but no one to give it to. But I _know_ o-or at least I hope, that the things I've been feeling, well... _I_ don't even know what to do with them so I can't even begin to imagine how you..."

Anna met her eyes then, her gaze watery and unfocused.

"I'm scared, Elsa. I'm scared because I don't know what to do. Part of me wants things to just stay the way they've been, easy and fun. But, another part of me says 'No, this new, this is Elsa. The real Elsa. You need this,' and now, now I see it. I can't just _un-see_ it. You know what I mean? I can't make myself pretend that I can't." At this Elsa couldn't help the wry, self-deprecating smile that appeared on her face. _I can. I've gotten quite good at it. _

Anna breathed out shakily, pulling back from Elsa to turn and flop down face-first onto the bed. The redhead then let out a loud groan. "But what does it matter? You probably think I'm a freak now anyway. I've let my idiotic, rambling mouth get the better of me yet again. Gosh, how have you put up with me for this long?"

Elsa cocked her head, hands still suspended in the air. She drew them in close to her chest, eyes falling to the sheets once again. This was a lot to process.

_So… essentially, she just told me she realizes I'm actually a teenager with… needs, and not the asexual child I apparently come off as when I'm trying not to scare her off or risk losing her._

_That's… good. That's, that's actually wonderful. _

…_how on earth did this happen? _

The blonde felt the ecstatic smile growing on her face before she could stop it. She raised her eyes from the bed sheets and looked upon Anna's form splayed across the bed. After a moment's deliberation, Elsa flopped down beside her with enough force to cause the entire mattress to bounce. Anna didn't move, but Elsa was happy to just stare at the redhead, adoration illuminating her eyes with brilliant blue light.

_She's adorable. _

Elsa reached out and poked at the top of Anna's head. When there was no response she did it again.

And again. And again.

Finally after several more pokes Anna blindly swiped at her hand, refusing to lift her face from the sheets. "Elsa, stop! Can't you see I'm trying to wallow over here?"

Elsa only grinned. She then lunged for the redhead's sides, fingers digging into the soft skin and the effect was immediate. Anna reared up, shrieking as Elsa continued to tickle her sides, laughter bubbling its way past her lips without her consent. The blonde's grin only stretched wider, eyes bright. This went on until Anna began to gasp for breath, and when the redhead began to repeatedly smack at her arms Elsa finally pulled away. Anna was now flopped onto her back, her hair a mess as her chest heaved. She glared at Elsa before throwing an arm over her eyes, still trying to catch her breath.

Elsa just smiled before lying down beside her. They didn't even bother getting under the sheets, they just laid beside one another in peace. The silence was soft, at long last. Not awkward, tense or heavy, just easy. But just as Elsa felt herself begin to nod off, that silence was broken.

"So… what _is _your favorite color?"

* * *

><p><strong>Guys. It's 5:13 am. It's blizzarding outside. What is life.<strong>

**-Cel**


	18. Chapter 18

Anna woke up that morning to find her field of vision filled with blonde hair. It was everywhere, tickling her skin, her neck, her nose…

_What the… where did all this hair come from?_

Considering where she was and what had happened the previous night, you'd think that it would have been easy for Anna to guess what the cause was. However, Anna had never been a morning person, and sleep still had its groggy clutches on her mind. All she could focus on (if one could even call it focus) was the single strand of hair tickling her nose every time she breathed in. As the redhead closed her eyes and scrunched her nose up to keep herself from sneezing, she slowly became aware of the soft warmth draped across her chest. And the warmth across her stomach. And the warmth down by her calves.

Essentially, she became aware of soft warmth _everywhere._

_Is this like… a really furry blanket or something? I mean, it wouldn't be that far-fetched to think that rich people sleep with bear pelts or tigers skins or something crazy like that. That's... actually sorta gross but wow this is comfy. I could totally get used to this But, I don't _remember _going to sleep with a bear…_

When the warmth against her chest shifted and a gentle exhale brushed across her collarbone, Anna found herself wide awake. Her face went red and she remembered what exactly she _had_ gone to sleep with last night. Glancing downward, past the mess of blonde hair, she saw Elsa.

Elsa asleep on her chest.

The blonde's ear was pressed directly above her heart and her steady breathing tickled the skin of Anna's neck, forcing the redhead to hold back the shivers that so desperately wanted to break free. The blonde's face was the picture of peace, mouth open ever so slightly to allow the inhales and exhales through. However, because of this, Anna found herself caught between cringing and giggling at the fact that Elsa was actually drooling in her sleep. The redhead's fingers twitched with the want to wipe the chilled wetness from her skin, but she was afraid she'd wake Elsa up.

So she tried to ignore it and she swept her eyes over the rest of the blonde's sleeping form. The warmth she felt at her stomach was Elsa's hand, clutching a fistful of the redhead's pajama top with as much might as a sleeping person could muster. The warmth by her calves was Elsa's leg, hooked around her own. Despite how cool Elsa's skin had always seemed to be in the past, right now, pressed right up against Anna's side, the blonde had never felt warmer.

…_like a really furry blanket._

Elsa shifted suddenly, murmuring in her sleep as her hand tightened its hold on her shirt. The action caused that irritating strand of hair to brush against Anna's nose with renewed vigor. Her eyes widened as she felt the sneeze coming.

_Oh no…_

Anna clenched her eyes shut and wiggled her nose furiously, trying to shake away the oncoming sneeze.

_Come on Anna, you got this! Shake it off, shake it off, you're fine. You don't need to sneeze. What's sneezing? Totally not something you're about to do, no way._

But then Elsa moved again, this time her head nuzzling against Anna's chest and that _damn hair _just-

With a strangled cry Anna rolled out from underneath the blonde just as a loud '_achoo!_' echoed throughout the room. Elsa's head thumped against the sheets and within a moment the blonde was wide awake, snapping to attention with wide eyes and an open mouth. Elsa's chest was heaving, breathing quick and unsteady as she stared at Anna in shock and confusion. The redhead could only grin sheepishly, a finger rubbing at the underside of her nose.

"Good morning!" she began with a nervous giggle, cheeks red from embarrassment. Elsa only blinked at her, blue eyes surprisingly alert for someone who'd been dead to the world only moments ago. Anna let her hand fall to her lap and she sighed. "Oh come on, don't look at me like that. It's your fault anyway! Your hair was _everywhere_ and it was tickling my nose and…"

Anna paused. Her eyes went wide as she stared at Elsa, who flushed under the scrutiny.

_Her hair…_

Anna burst out into laughter, clutching her stomach as she fell back against the bed. Elsa blinked in surprise, cheeks red. As Anna continued to laugh, chest heaving as she gasped for air, Elsa's cheeks grew redder and redder until finally the blonde pursed her lips and moved. Anna was sprawled out on her back, a hand covering her eyes as she laughed uncontrollably. Elsa threw a leg over the redhead's waist and straddled her, leaning forward to place her hands on either side of Anna's head. Anna didn't even notice, which made Elsa narrow her eyes and frown. She raised one hand and poked the girl sharply in the ribs.

Anna flinched away but kept right on laughing, prompting Elsa to poke her once again. Anna began to wriggle around underneath her, trying to escape the assault. If Elsa hadn't been so focused on finding out why the redhead was laughing her ass off, she probably would have found it quite distracting.

Finally the redhead spoke, choking out words between gasps. "Stop, stop! Stop… tickling me! I, I can't breathe!" Elsa cocked a brow and leaned back, settling her weight firmly on Anna's hips as she crossed her arms. Anna tried to control her giggling as she wiped tears from her eyes. They sparkled as they met Elsa's, bright and happy and beautiful.

Elsa felt her heart flutter at the sight.

"Y-your _hair!_ I thought you'd get bedhead, but I didn't think it'd be _this _bad!" Elsa's eyes widened and her hands flew to her hair. Anna's laughter immediately continued at the sight, her eyes screwed shut as she turned to press her face into the sheets.

Elsa's hair was an absolute mess; it had frizzed to twice its normal size and was sticking out in all directions. Her bangs, which were normally an adorable kind of windswept-messy, were now just straight-up wild. One section was sticking straight out, practically defying gravity as it shot out perpendicular to the blonde's head. Another piece fell straight down the middle of Elsa's forehead, sweeping back and forth whenever the blonde moved her head. Quite frankly the blonde looked like a dandelion, that or the world's most adorable, sun-deprived lion.

Elsa, embarrassed, pressed her hands flat against her head in attempt to hold back the mess, shoulders scrunching up to her ears. Her blush had spread to her ears, her lower lip jutting out in a pout.

Anna cracked one eye open as her laughter began to subside, smiling up at the flustered blonde above her.

_Wait… above me? _Anna looked down and felt her own blush begin to blaze as she realized just where Elsa was sitting. _Oh my… screw above me, she's on _top _of me. Why am I just noticing this now?_

Elsa must have noticed that she was no longer laughing, because her body relaxed and she eyed Anna curiously. The now-blushing redhead was looking down, and Elsa followed her line of sight. When she realized where Anna was looking, Elsa couldn't help the smirk that curled at her lips. She leaned forward, hands once again finding their place on either side of Anna's head. Anna only grew redder, looking anywhere but at the smug figure above her.

"U-uh, not that it looks bad! Your hair, I mean… um I-I get crazy bedhead too! As I'm sure you can clearly see." She let out a nervous chuckle as Anna felt Elsa's breath fan over her face. _Oh God oh God oh God. She's so close I can literally feel her smirking at me this is so not cool. Crap, she's so warm and holy oh my God I'm totally enjoying this. Why am I enjoying this?! Stop it! _"U-uh, in fact I bet mine's totally worse. My hair never listens to me; usually I can never get it straight. That's why I always wear my hair in braids! I guess you know what that feels like, but I bet you'd be totally beautiful with your hair down and-"

At the word 'beautiful' Elsa's grin had grown predatory, eyes darkening ever so slightly as the blonde began to close the distance between them. Anna's eyes went wide and her fingers clutched at the soft linens beneath her. Her eyes flashed to Elsa's lips, curled into that tantalizing smirk, and she tried (but failed quite miserably) to swallow the lump that had taken up surprise residence in her throat. When Elsa was merely inches away, Anna screwed her eyes shut, heart pounding in her chest.

_ohmyGodohmyGodohmyGod_

_She smells good. Why does she smell so good?!_

_Holy mother of all that's wonderful and smothered in chocolate I can't-_

Out of all the possible scenarios she'd envisioned, Elsa blowing a particularly wet raspberry in her face was not one of them.

"Oh my God, _ewwwwwwwwwwww!_"

Saliva coated her face as Elsa continued her dastardly deed, eyes alight with mischief. Anna brought her hands up to shield her face, crying out in disgust once more when the offending liquid hit her hands instead. By the time Elsa withdrew her tongue, lips split in a Cheshire cat grin, Anna was thoroughly disgusted and very wet. Her eyes remained shut, afraid that if she opened them then she'd find herself blinded. Instead she forced herself up into a sitting position, causing the blonde on top of her to fall back. Elsa blushed when she realized she was basically in Anna's lap.

Anna wiped at her eyes with her sleeves, mouth drawn into a firm, unamused line. When she was sure they'd been properly cleaned, turquoise eyes opened. They fixed themselves on Elsa whose grin, though weaker, was still very much alive, as was the amusement in her eyes. Anna blinked once, wiping away a particularly large speck of spit from her right chin.

"That," she began in a relatively controlled voice, "was disgusting." Elsa only shrugged, one eyebrow raised expectantly. Anna's own brows drew together in a frown. "You know what this means?" Elsa bit her lip, grinning, before slowly shaking her head from side to side. "It means that you, Your Majesty Miss Elsa Helland the First and hopefully only, are not only a chocolate-loving, snowflake-making, piano-playing, ballroom-dancing, cuddle-monster-who-drools-in-her-sleep bookworm, but a _raspberry-blower _as well." Anna narrowed her eyes further, arms crossing over her chest. "I don't know if I can be friends with a _raspberry-blower." _

Anna tried to keep her face serious, she really did, but when the confidence fled from Elsa's eyes, form slumping as her smirk fell away, the redhead couldn't help but sigh. After a slight pause, Anna leaned forward to press their foreheads together. Elsa jumped slightly at the contact, cheeks pink as she gazed uncertainly into Anna's eyes.

"Elsa, I'm kidding. Come on, you know me. I was just joking. Who cares if you blow raspberries? God knows I do plenty of things that are just as gross and probably twice as awkward. At least you looked cute doing it, even if I had to get sprayed to see it." Elsa was still worrying at her bottom lip, eyes unsure. Anna just rolled her own and took Elsa's hands in hers. "Look, you can blow raspberries at me whenever you want, okay?"

There was a moment of silence before Elsa's eyes brightened and she smiled. Anna smiled back and opened her mouth to speak, but out of nowhere Elsa's tongue reappeared and a second raspberry was blown in the redhead's freckled face. Before Anna even had time to process Elsa was off of her lap and running to the bathroom, grinning like a madwoman.

After a moment Anna turned to watch her go, stunned. When the blonde disappeared behind the bathroom door she flopped down onto the bed sheets with a groan.

_I've created a monster._

Anna stared up at the ceiling.

_Or have I? I mean, last night I basically had to re-learn who she was. I can't believe Kristoff and Meg were right… I was such an idiot. I really _did_ treat her like a… like a child. _Anna shut her eyes, a pained expression on her face. _I'm an idiot. __God, last night was incredible though. Who'd have thought that Elsa could ballroom dance? Or play piano? _

The pair had stayed up for hours last night, learning about each other. Anna had asked Elsa any random question that popped into her head, and the blonde did her best to answer each of them. She'd had to get her sketchbook and draw out some basic diagrams, but by the time the two of them had passed out around 2 am Anna had learned more about Elsa in one night than she had in the entire two months she'd known her.

_She's a cat person, but likes dogs just as much, at least when they're being quiet. She hates eating with her hands. She's never been to the beach, but she's read about it and wants to go one day. She doesn't like big bodies of water, so she's not the best swimmer. When she was little her father taught her how to waltz, but when guests at parties tried to be cute and offered to dance with her she'd shy away. There's a music room at the institute, and since she was twelve she's been teaching herself how to play. She doesn't understand reality TV, and she's never seen a Disney movie. _

_(We're gonna need to fix that.)_

Anna's brow furrowed as she wondered if she'd forgotten anything.

_Hm… I think that was it. Oh! Wait, there was one thing she never answered._

It had been Anna's first question. '_What's your favorite color?' _Elsa had merely turned to look at her, cheeks red. Anna had waited patiently, but as Elsa's eyes danced across her face (lingering first on her hair, then her eyes), she realized she'd waited in vain. Elsa merely blushed harder and rolled away, curling into a ball. Even when Anna began to poke at and tickled her sides Elsa refused to answer. Eventually Anna had just decided to move on.

Anna grinned at the memory. _That won't be the end of it. I won't be deterred! _

…_that is how you use that word, right?_

There was a knock at the door and Anna's head shot up so fast she was surprised her neck didn't crack. Forgetting that her hair was always a mess in the mornings and that there was still most likely a drool stain on her top from where Elsa had been using her as a pillow, Anna sprang from the bed. "Coming!" she called as she hurried to the door. When she pulled it open she saw Mrs. Helland, impeccably dressed, makeup flawless. "Oh, good morning, Mrs. Helland!"

Mrs. Helland cocked a brow at her. "Good _afternoon, _Anna. Tell me, do you always sleep till noon?"

Anna's eyes widened. "Noon?"

Catrine nodded. "Yes, noon. Whilst my husband would be content with letting you sleep the day away, I would actually enjoy eating lunch with my daughter and our guest. Speaking of, where is Elsa?"

"Oh, um she's in the bathroom. She might be showering or something, or taking a bath." Suddenly Anna's eyebrows drew together and her eyes grew curious. "Say, Mrs. Helland, does Elsa prefer baths or showers?" When Catrine only stared down at her in confusion, Anna flushed and looked away. "Sorry, that was, wow, that was really random, wasn't it? You know what, it's totally not important. In fact, forget I said anything."

Catrine just nodded slowly, fighting to hold back a smile. "Of course. Now, if that's the case I suggest you do the same once she's finished. I'll give the pair of you an hour to make yourselves presentable. When that hour is up I expect to see both of you in the dining room for lunch. Edna should be arriving not long after with your dress, and we'll help you get ready. Gowns can be a bit tricky, and I have the feeling that you aren't well versed in the intricacies of lacing." When Anna just shook her head from side to side, cheeks pink, Catrine finally allowed the smile to spread and she gazed down at the redhead with affection. "Well, I'll leave the two of you to get ready then."

And with an aristocratic nod Catrine backed away from the doorway and proceeded down the hall. Anna stuck her head out the door to watch her go, staring for a moment before pursing her lips and retreating back inside.

"Okay, so… an hour to shower, get dressed, tame the mane and get downstairs. I can do that." Nodding to herself, Anna approached the bathroom door and knocked. "Elsa, I'm coming in okay? You have five seconds to hide your possible nakedness." Thoughts of the ball, the dress, everything began to fill her head. Once she'd counted to five she opened the door and stepped inside the bathroom. Steam immediately brushed against her skin, and she saw Elsa neck-deep in the bathtub, surrounded by bubbles. The blonde's face was red, mouth hidden by a particularly large pile of bubbles.

Anna just spared her a wave, mind elsewhere as she crossed the tiled floor. "Sorry, don't mean to disturb your bath. Your mom wants us downstairs for lunch in an hour, so I'm gonna hop in the shower real fast, okay?"

_I really hope this dress isn't gonna be too fancy… what did she mean by 'lacing'? What if this thing has a corset? Oh, no way. There's no way I can do a corset. Don't they like, squeeze your organs or something?_

As she passed the tub she missed the way Elsa seemed to flinch away, scrambling to the opposite side of the tub. And when she absentmindedly pulled her shirt over her head, exposing not only the sports bra she'd worn to bed but her toned abdomen as well, she didn't see Elsa's eyes widen or her jaw dropping.

_And what if Mrs. Helland expects me to wear like, five-inch heels? Wedges I can handle, wedges are chill. They're just like, tall sandals. Stilettos are death-traps. _

"Hey Elsa, where are the towels?" She gave the blonde a quick glance, oblivious to the way Elsa refused to look in her direction. The blonde pointed (with a shaking hand) to a closet that stood beside the sink's marble counter top and Anna sent her a distracted grin. The redhead first went to the standing shower, admiring the abstract patterns on the blurred glass before she tossed her shirt over the top of the door. Then she quickly grabbed herself a towel and threw that up too, stepping inside the shower stall to finish undressing.

Elsa, all the while, just sank further and further into the bathwater, face as red as a cherry. She couldn't help herself; when Anna draped her pajamas over the shower door and turned on the water Elsa allowed her eyes to wander.

Though the glass door was blurred to prevent peeping, the steam from the heat of Elsa's bath adding an extra layer of cover, it couldn't hide _everything…_ plus the thought of Anna being so close by, so unbelievably wet and _naked _and-

Elsa dunked her head under the water. And she stayed there for as long as she could manage. When her lungs began to cry out for oxygen she finally resurfaced, sputtering and spitting out water as her soaking wet hair fell in her eyes.

Anna, from inside the stall, heard the water splashing and paused, hair rife with shampoo suds. "Elsa? Are you alright?" _Idiot, she can't answer you. _So Anna stuck her head out the shower door, not far enough for soap suds to drip onto the floor but far enough so that she could see Elsa with her back turned to her. "Elsa?" As she waited for a response she grew distracted by a water droplet that was slowly making its way down Elsa's back.

_Wow, her skin is flawless. _

When the droplet finally hit the water Anna blinked and looked back up. Even though Elsa's back was turned to her Anna could see her head bobbing up and down in a frantic nod. Though she was still concerned, the redhead shrugged and withdrew her head, resuming her shower. Worries about tonight continued to plague her mind: worries about the dress, the shoes, having to do her makeup (something she rarely did) and being forced to spend an entire evening trying her best not to be painfully awkward. God forbid she embarrass her hosts.

After several more minutes of scrubbing and a healthy helping of a delicious-smelling conditioner she found inside the shower stall, Anna shut the water off. She pushed her hair out of her eyes and stretched, sighing out in bliss when she felt her spine pop. She reached up to grab the towel and wrapped it around herself, marveling at its fluffy softness.

As she stepped out of the shower she heard water sloshing and she glanced over at the tub. She caught the last bits of blonde hair diving beneath the bubbles.

_Huh. Guess she's washing off her hair. _

Shrugging, Anna left the bathroom and entered her own room, gently closing the bathroom door behind her.

_What if Mrs. Helland expects me to dance with people? I can't dance! I mean, yeah Hans kinda taught me how to waltz at Rapunzel's wedding, but that was only for like, five seconds. Eugene and I solemnly swore that we'd never dance a step more than was necessary, but tonight's a different story. I'll be a horrible guest if I refuse to dance with people, that'll make the Hellands look bad! Oh, this is going to be awful. Maybe I can have Elsa refresh my memory…_

But the thought of Elsa being so close to her, hands on her waist, face so close to her own, immediately brought fire to Anna's cheeks.

_Uh, maybe not the best idea. Not sure if I'm ready for that, nope nope. I mean… it's not like anything's going to happen with all those people watching us, right? Elsa wouldn't… _

Hooded blue eyes, dark and intense as they stared down at her, appeared in her mind and Anna clutched her towel tighter to herself.

_Elsa would. Elsa totally would. Oh my God, I can't do this. I can't. There's no way… oh my God! She's going to look absolutely stunning tonight! She's going to be in a _dress _tonight, and not just any dress, she's going to be in a _gown. _Oh no, I…_

…_I just showered with her. Not, not _with _her but, oh my God. Oh. My. God._

Anna's eyes went wide and she collapsed onto the bed. The utter idiocy of what she'd just done finally hit her and she covered her mouth with both hands.

_I didn't even realize! That was probably so awkward for her! I can't believe I- Jesus, Anna! Are you trying to be horrible? You literally just had this conversation with her last night, outright told her that you knew what was up! You know she has… oh, come on say it, you weirdo! _

Anna swallowed thickly.

_Elsa has… feelings for you. She does. And she knows that you know. _

_And you probably just scared the absolute crap out of her. _

_Good going, Christian. _

Anna groaned before rising from the bed.

_Should I apologize? Would that be awkward? I mean, everything I do is awkward but… or should I just leave it alone? _

…_either way I should probably get dressed first. _

Sighing, Anna stood and grabbed her duffle bag which had been waiting for her on the floor beside the bed. The redhead unzipped it and dug around for her clothes, sparing a glance at the clock. They still had forty minutes before they were expected downstairs for lunch, plenty of time.

Still, she got dressed quickly. She pulled on a pair of white skinny jeans and a long-sleeved pine green top, rolling up the sleeves to her elbows. She pulled a pair of grey socks on and ran a hand through her unruly hair. With one hand she reached around blindly for her hair brush, pulling it out from within the dark confines of her bag. "Now do I wait for it to dry? Or should I just throw it up into a bun? Haven't done that in a while… hm. Yeah, let's do that."

Anna dropped the brush back into the bag and grabbed a hair tie. She then flipped her head over and ran her fingers through her hair, chasing away the tangles she could reach. When she was satisfied she gathered her wet locks in her hand and quickly wrapped them all up into a loose top knot, tying it off once she'd straightened back up. With a content sigh she glanced at herself in the mirror. Her bun was delightfully messy, a few strands brushing against her neck and framing her face. "Nice one, Anna."

She turned her head when she heard a knock at the door. "Come in!" She blushed when the door opened slightly, just one of Elsa's shy blue eyes visible. Anna could only grin back, just as shy. "Hey, um… it's okay. You can come in. Sorry about, um… I-I should've thought that through. I mean, you'd think I would've gotten it through my head by now that I can't just not consider your feelings. I-I should've asked if it was okay for me to, y'know. Sorry, Elsa." The door opened further, enough for Elsa to stick her whole head out. Blue eyes followed the curve of Anna's neck, flicking up to stare at the redhead's messy bun.

Self-conscious, Anna ran a hand through her bangs, eyes falling to the floor. "I guess, I don't know. I-I wasn't really thinking, if that makes it better. I was just really nervous about the ball tonight, I still am." Elsa raised a brow and stepped through the doorway, giving Anna an eyeful of the simple, white one-piece dress she was wearing.

_Oh wow… she looks so pretty. Like an angel._

As Anna stared, Elsa cocked her head, eyeing the blush that was slowly growing on Anna's face.

"U-um, I'm just worried that I'll embarrass you and your family. I mean, this is an event for rich, sophisticated people, and I'm pretty much the opposite of that. Like, what if I trip? Or say something dumb? I can't even dance, what if I-"

A cool finger pressed against her lips, silencing her. Anna looked up and her eyes widened at the solemn, stern look on Elsa's face. Her eyes were narrowed, mouth set in a hard line. When had the blonde gotten so close? Anna watched in awe as Elsa shook her head slowly from side to side, eyes never leaving Anna's.

The redhead jumped when a hand settled on her hip, the finger on her lips leaving so that the hand it belonged to could grab Anna's wrist. Elsa gently brought their hands up, resting Anna's left hand on her own shoulder before intertwining their right hands together.

Anna realized what the blonde was doing.

"B-but Elsa, there's no music."

Elsa only grinned. She began to tap a steady beat against Anna's hip, _'1-2-3, 1-2-3' _and she led the flustered redhead in a slow waltz around the room. Despite her nervousness, muscle memory and the intense need she felt to not step on Elsa's bare toes had Anna dancing like a pro in no time. Soon Elsa didn't even need to tap out the beat, and the two slowly circled the room as Anna giggled like a fool. "Hey, I think I got it!" Elsa smiled. The blonde glanced at the clock and frowned. She stopped them both and Anna looked up, confused. She followed the blonde's line of sight and her eyes widened. "Crap! How long have we been dancing for? We need to get downstairs! Here, let me go put shoes on… and uh, maybe you should go do that too."

Elsa's frown only deepened when Anna pulled away. The blonde folded her arms across her stomach, sad eyes falling to the floor.

But when Anna came back to press a quick kiss to her cheek as a thank you, Elsa's face lit up in a blush and she smiled.

* * *

><p>It was around five o'clock when Anna heard a knock at her bedroom door. She looked up from her Nintendo, half-way through a battle with a wild Pikachu. "Who is it?" she called. With no answer forthcoming the redhead snapped the Nintendo shut and stood. She crossed the room and reached for the doorknob, but before her hand was even halfway there the door flew wide open.<p>

"_Dahhhhhling!"_

Anna jumped out of the way as Edna Mode came strolling through the door, flanked by two frighteningly large men, each carrying a black bag. Her eyes were wide with fright, even when Catrine came through the door with a serene smile on her face.

"Put them down over there boys, then leave us. There is much to be done and I can't work with you two hovering like vultures, yes? Come come, no dawdling." The two men obeyed, nodding simultaneously as they laid the black bags down on Anna's bed and shuffled from the room, closing the door behind them.

"Uh, what just-" but Edna got a grip on her shirt and yanked the redhead down to pull her into a very _powerful _embrace.

"Oh dahling, so good to see you again! May I just say that you have been a great source of inspiration; I have not enjoyed a project as much as this one in a long time!" Edna released her and immediately crossed the room to pull herself into the leather rolling chair that accompanied the mahogany desk in the corner of the bedroom. "Well, dahling? Go on, go on, choose!"

"Choose?" Anna sent the two black bags on her bed a suspicious glance. Catrine only chuckled and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"In her excitement, Edna got a bit carried away and she ended up making two gowns."

"Oh…" Anna blushed. "Does… does that mean I have to try _both_ on?"

Edna narrowed her beady eyes, crossing her arms. "Of course! I make two, you will try on two. I made these specifically for you, and only you can do them justice. I will be seeing both, but for tonight's event I suppose you may choose whichever you prefer."

Catrine guided Anna to the bed and reached for the first bag. Anna folded an arm across her stomach to grip the other, worrying at her lower lip with her teeth. As Catrine unzipped the bag Anna leaned forward to peek. Her jaw dropped when she saw the fabric. It was a lovely, deep magenta, and the material looked as soft as silk.

"Oh wow…" Catrine reached in and withdrew the dress from the bag. Anna's eyes widened. "Oh… _wow._"

Catrine eyed the dress suspiciously, sending Edna a curious glance. The tiny woman just grinned broadly, clapping her hands together. "Hurry child, hurry! Put it on!"

"I-I don't know if I-"

"I won't hear it! Try it on, I insist!"

Anna looked up at Catrine, helpless. The older woman could only shrug. "She won't take no for an answer, Miss Christian. It's best you just do as she asks."

So after a whole lot of blushing and tugging, Anna found herself wrapped in silken fabric. The gown went to the floor, hiding Anna's shaking knees as the redhead looked down at herself, face red. Edna was circling her, eyeing each fold with a proud glint in her eye. "Oh _dahling_, it's perfect."

Anna turned her head, trying to follow the little woman. "A-are you sure? Isn't it a little, um…"

"Revealing?" Catrine stood with her arms crossed, eyes firmly fixed upon Anna's bare back. The flustered redhead was clearly uncomfortable. The dress, while beautiful, had a plunging neckline, made up of a single piece of fabric that wrapped around her bust and continued along her back. It folded once over itself and then joined the rest of the dress, the seams cleverly hidden by magenta folds. It left Anna's back bare for the world to see, as well as her freckled shoulders. "Edna, it's beautiful, but don't you think it's a bit much?"

"Of course not, dahling! Now Miss Christian, if you would let your hair down…" Anna gulped but did as she was asked, freeing her hair from its bun. It fell in waves around her shoulders, messy and wild. "Perfect! Absolutely perfect!"

Catrine sighed, stepping forward. "Edna, please-"

"No, Catrine! Listen to me: when I first saw Miss Christian I knew that I would make something like this. The girl before you is sweet for sure, _that_ side of her personality I made plain in the second gown. But looking at her, seeing the shy way she bites her lip, the way she shies away from attention… if someone were to bring out confidence, composure, this girl before you could have you wrapped around her little finger with but a smile!" Anna blushed, folding her arms across her stomach. Edna immediately frowned and ripped her arms apart. "No! Miss Anna, listen to me."

Edna took her hand and led her to the vanity, hopping up into the chair so that she could put a hand on Anna's shoulder. "Tell me dear, what do you see?"

Anna bit her lip, afraid to look at herself in the mirror. When Edna made it clear that there was no way to avoid this, the redhead took a shaky breath and met her reflection's eyes. "I see me. I see me in an absolutely beautiful gown that totally doesn't suit me at all."

"And what makes you say that?"

Anna frowned, eyeing the neckline of the dress and fighting the urge to pull it up. "Because… I'm not this. I-I'm not… this is something Elsa could pull off, not me. I couldn't, I mean…"

_I'm nowhere near beautiful enough to pull this off. God, you can see every single one of my freckles. And my back… there's no way!_

"But I didn't make this dress for Elsa, silly girl. I made this dress for you. And do you know why?" Anna sent Edna a shy glance, shaking her head back and forth before letting her chin fall to her chest. Edna clucked her tongue and reached out, placing a hand underneath the redhead's chin to lift her head. "I made this dress because when I met you, I saw a beautiful young woman. A beautiful young woman who thinks far too little of herself, and it irritated me to no end! I've worked with models from around the world that have not a fraction of the natural beauty you possess, nor a single speck of personality."

Anna flushed under the praise. "I-I'm not… I mean, thank you but-"

"No buts! Now, when you put on this dress you say 'I am beautiful, I know it!' and it will work! It will sing your praises for you, and there will be not a fool in the room who will not see it. But if you put on this dress and cower from it, as you are now, then yes, you become the timid, unworthy little thing you think you are. And I did not make this dress for that purpose, so by the gods you will straighten that back and stand tall!"

Edna withdrew her hand to smack Anna on the shoulder, emphasizing her point. The redhead's spine snapped straight, her shoulders squared and chin up. This time when she looked in the mirror, she was surprised. Her freckles, which she'd always had a love/hate relationship with, no longer looked quite so dark and distracting. The reddish hues of the dress complemented both her skin and her hair well, and Edna's praise had brought a healthy pink glow to her cheeks.

She looked… well, she looked _good._

Everyone turned when the bathroom door opened. Elsa stepped in covering a yawn with the back of her hand. Anna immediately moved to cover herself, confidence having fled at the idea of Elsa seeing her in such an outfit. But Edna saw this and hissed a warning at her, smacking her hands away. Catrine cocked a brow in her daughter's direction, curious to see her reaction to the dress.

The blonde's eyes were closed, still caught in the throes of the yawn, when Edna spoke. "Well, if you don't believe me, we'll see what Miss Helland thinks! What do you think, my dear? Doesn't your friend look absolutely ravishing?"

Elsa's eyes blinked open, dazed from her yawn. They started at the bottom of the gown, lazily tracing their way up.

When her eyes reached Anna's bare back, the blonde froze.

The room was silent.

Anna felt herself growing warm, but not in the places she was used to. The way Elsa was staring at her… the blonde's eyes were wide and slightly terrified, but those topaz blue eyes were rapidly darkening. Anna could see her pupil's dilating from here.

Suddenly, Anna didn't feel quite so uncomfortable. If anything, she was actually _excited._

Elsa's hands were twitching at her sides, eyes roving over the redhead's body. They traced the curve of the redhead's spine, counting each vertebra as she paused to study toned shoulder blades. She saw the freckles, lightly dusting Anna's upper back like a light coating of cinnamon. When Anna turned her body to face her Elsa's eyes grew impossibly wider. The blonde was practically salivating, eyeing the redhead's _everything_ and imagining marking each and every single spot and-

Anna gasped when Elsa's eyelids began to flutter and the blonde's knees began to shake. Before any of the other women in the room could react, Elsa's legs gave out and she fell to the floor in a swoon, body thumping against the plush carpet.

Catrine clapped a hand over her mouth in shock, while Edna burst out into laughter. Anna ignored them both and hurried to the blonde's side, kneeling down beside her and placing the blonde's head in her lap. Elsa's face was flushed, her cheeks radiating heat. Anna, her own cheeks red, gently began to fan the other girl's face with her hand.

…_I just made Elsa faint._

The thought brought a cheeky little grin to Anna's face.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey babes :)<strong>

**I'm pretty happy with this chapter, and I'm very excited for the next few. You guys should be too. **

**As always, thank you so much for your continued support and love; never in my wildest dreams did I think that this story would get as much attention as it has. Over 2000 followers... my God. You guys are amazing.**

**-Cel**


	19. Chapter 19

Elsa woke up after a minute or so. She was a bit delirious at first, eyes hazy as she blinked a few times. When she looked up and saw Anna's concerned eyes staring down at her she frowned. Why was Anna above her?

_And why can I see so much of her… oh no. _

_The dress._

Her eyes went comically wide and Anna called her name, worried, but Elsa's hands flew to her face to cover her eyes. She had to do it. She had to! If she looked again, saw so much of Anna's freckled skin so close again, there was no guarantee she'd be able to stop herself: she would either die on the spot or (the more likely option) roll Anna onto her back and ravish her right then and there on the floor. Screw her mother and that cruel little dressmaker.

_Of all possible things, of _all _possible things that horrible woman could have made…_

_This world is cruel. All within a matter of 24 hours not only has Anna become aware of my… feelings, implied that she could quite possibly be not completely against them, been _wet _and _naked _in the same room with me... and now this! _

_Oh, I can't believe I actually fainted! Disgraceful!_

Anna was shaking her shoulders, calling her name and trying to get her attention. Tensing, the blonde rose to a sitting position, legs folded underneath her. She took in a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She heard Anna shuffle behind her, most likely from worry should Elsa swoon again.

"U-um, Elsa? Are you okay?"

_No, Anna! No, I'm not 'okay'! Far from it! Miles from it, leagues away from anything even resembling 'okay'! That, that _witch _must be a mind-reader. There is no conceivable way she could have known to make this dress, no possible way! God… but you look so beautiful. So very beautiful…_

_Oh Anna._

_You are very, _very _lucky we aren't alone._

"Uh, Miss Mode? I-I don't think I can-"

The dressmaker interrupted with a nasally voice that made the fine blonde hairs on the back of Elsa's neck stand on end. "Edna, dahling! Call me Edna, please!"

Elsa heard Anna clear her throat, heard the fabric shifting behind her as the redhead stood. "E-Edna then. Um… the dress is gorgeous, but um… I think I'd like to try the other one on now."

"What?! But dahling, surely _that _reaction was more than enough to tell you how ravishing you look! Why change?"

Elsa was so busy trying to ignore the images and connotations that the use of the word 'ravishing' had brought to her head that she almost missed Anna's response. There was discomfort in the redhead's tone, extreme discomfort and a shyness that had Elsa's shoulders loosening, her hands falling away from her face as her eyes grew concerned.

"The dress is amazing, Miss uh, _Edna,_ but I… I just, I don't know. I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable or, well…"

Elsa blinked, turning her head slightly to stare at Anna's feet, which were partially hidden by the hem of the gown. Her brow furrowed ever so slightly. _Wait… she's, does she mean me? Is she worried about… oh, Anna._

Elsa's heart thumped in her chest, unsure if it wanted to flutter in delight or fall heavy with guilt. While it was very true that if Anna were to wear that gown to the ball tonight Elsa was going to be miserable with want, Anna_ did_ look absolutely breathtaking. From the few seconds that were (for the moment) burned in her mind, Elsa was sure that she'd never see anything more beautiful than Anna in that dress, hair free and face flushed, eyes just beginning to shine with the confidence that so suited her.

And yet here she was, offering to wear something else, strictly for Elsa's sake.

If the blonde wasn't terrified that one more look would send her into lusty madness, she would have gazed up at Anna with adoration warming her icy blue eyes. Instead she just bit her lip, a blush dancing across her cheekbones.

_I don't deserve her._

Just then her mother spoke. "Uncomfortable isn't the word dear, believe me. However, I do believe it would be for the best if you wore the other dress." Elsa's ears perked. There was another dress? "Elsa?" The blonde turned to stare at her mother's feet, which had appeared at her side. "Why don't you go get yourself ready? Maybe you can help Miss Christian with her hair and makeup after we help her into the other gown. Hopefully this one is more… conservative. Edna?"

Elsa raised her head ever so slightly, hands falling to her lap. She heard the tiny dressmaker huff and jump down from her chair. As Edna made her way over to Anna's bed to join Catrine in freeing the second dress from its bag, Elsa stood on shaky legs, hugging her arms close to her body once she was upright. She felt Anna's eyes on her, and she took in a deep breath.

_Come on, you owe her something. She was already nervous about tonight, and you've just succeeded in making it worse. Just, encourage her! Go on, show her that you're alright!_

…_well. Act like it at least._

Elsa gulped, steeling her nerves and straightening her spine as one hand came up to fiddle with the ends of her hair. Slowly she turned to face Anna, her head repeating a frantic mantra of_ 'look at her face look at her face her face you fool'_ as her own face began to heat up again. When she finally did find herself looking at the girl that was essentially her world, Elsa's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Anna was blushing, eyes on the floor as she bit at her lip. She was doing this funny thing with her hands, holding them close to her chest as she held one in a fierce grip with the other. She looked… there wasn't really a word to describe it. Nervous, unsure, scared: if you could combine all three into one single emotion then that would be close.

Seeing the redhead look so lost immediately had a frown tugging at Elsa's lips. The blonde quickly stepped forward, eyes narrowing when Anna chanced a shy glance at her but then immediately looked away. When she finally stood before Anna she didn't even care about the dress or the vast amount of freckled skin on display, she just raised a hand and placed it under Anna's chin, guiding the girl to tilt her head up so Elsa could meet her gaze. The normally bright, smiling eyes she would have been happy to stare into for eternity were now filled with uncertainty.

_Something I've been seeing a lot of lately, _Elsa mused. _And I don't like it._

Her other hand came up as well; she placed it on top of both of Anna's and gently wormed her way in so she could thread her fingers through one of them, relieved when Anna's frame immediately relaxed.

"E-Elsa, I…" Elsa just cocked a brow curiously, smiling gently down at the flustered redhead. She took a moment to enjoy their height difference. The fact that Anna had to tilt her head back ever so slightly to meet the blonde's eyes made her feel warm but not uncomfortably so. It wasn't the aching, buzzing warmth she was so accustomed to feeling whenever Anna got too close. What Elsa felt now was nothing but pure affection, a basic, primal need not to ravish and possess but to please.

And so the blonde leaned down to press her forehead against Anna's, still smiling as gently and as reassuring as she could. It took a moment, a long moment of silent conversation between the two, before Anna eventually smiled back. Elsa's eyes crinkled at the sight, her smile stretching wider. But then Anna's smile curled into a smirk, and Elsa's brow furrowed, smile faltering slightly.

"I had no idea you had it _that _bad."

Heat seared straight from Elsa's cheeks to her ears. _Why you cheeky little…_

Pale cheeks puffed out in a pout as Anna giggled. Elsa pulled back and flicked the redhead's forehead, ignoring Anna's exaggerated yelp of pain as she turned away with a flourish and headed straight for the bathroom. She heard Anna laughing from behind her and her blush only intensified, her shoulders scrunching up to her ears as her hands clenched into frustrated fists at her sides. When she reached the bathroom she kicked the door shut without a second glance.

Elsa stood there for a moment, pout still fierce on her face, but as the melodic sound of Anna laughing filled her ears she couldn't help the embarrassed but accomplished smile that tugged at her lips. Her eyes fell shut as she let her body fall back against the door, sighing like a (silent) love-struck fool.

_Oh Anna. The things you do to me._

_Now, the things _I'm_ about to do to _you…_ I do believe it's my turn to impress._

Determined blue eyes opened, and a confident grin curled at her lips. Elsa sauntered through the bathroom with long hip-swaying strides and entered her own room, excitement clear on her features as she made her way to the wardrobe. Grasping the handles she paused for only a moment before flinging the doors open. Blue eyes danced across each article of clothing, weighing the benefits of each as she tried to decide which was the most likely to send Anna into her own swooning fit. The blonde unconsciously bit at her lip, brows drawing together.

Finally she withdrew two gowns, one an icy blue and the other a delicious cherry red. She eyed the red one shyly, wondering what on earth had possessed her mother to commission such a dress. However, knowing how much her mother adored Edna Mode's eccentricities and how often she let the tiny woman do as she pleased, she didn't ponder for too long.

Her gaze turned to the blue one next, eyeing the pale fabric with a pleased grin. This was one of her favorite dresses. The last time she'd paid a visit to her family's estate it had been waiting in her closet for her, a gift to mark the celebration of her 16th birthday. It had fit like a glove then, and Elsa had spent much of her actual birthday in it, refusing to take it off until the time came when she had to return to the institute for more pointless hours of solitude and silent visits with a frustrated therapist.

When Elsa realized she was frowning she shook her head and tossed the red dress onto her bed. She shrugged off the delicate white one-piece she was wearing, standing in nothing but her underwear as she cast a quick glance at the door.

_Anna's probably changing right now too…_

And Elsa was blushing again.

_Come on, focus. _

She slipped the dress over her head, pleased to find that her mother had somehow managed to have the dress tailored before her arrival. She'd been afraid that what little growth she'd managed in the past two years would have caused the dress to stretch, but the blue fabric hugged her body just as well (if not better) than it had two years ago. Elsa grinned as she smoothed the fabric over her hips, spinning to admire the way it flowed. She moved to stand before the vanity, her grin growing as she gazed at her reflection.

The beaded bodice that hugged her torso caught the light and shined no matter how she stood, and the light, light blue of the skirt complemented her pale skin very well… particularly the pale skin of her leg, exposed by the slit than ran up the dress' right side. Her arms and shoulders were covered by a sheer blue material, which was sewn to meet the bodice and had the same very same beads laced through to create intricate designs upon her shoulders.

It was a beautiful gown. It was familiar, it was secure… it was comfortable.

_Is that fair though? _Elsa cocked her head at her reflection. _After all, Anna got bullied into wearing that sin of a gown. True, part of her liked it, or was starting to at least. But the second I became 'uncomfortable' she immediately shot it down and offered to wear something else. She did that for me. She does so much for me…_

_This is all so new to her. She's terrified she's going to do something wrong tonight; she has been all weekend. Is it really fair of me to just slip back into my comfort zone with no regards for her struggle?_

Elsa cast a glance at the red dress laid out on her bed. The blonde pursed her lips and her eyebrows drew together. After a moment she took a deep breath in and pulled the blue gown over her head. As she held it in her hands, fingers brushing against the familiar fabric, she wondered.

_But how do I even know if I'll look good in red? What if it makes me look even paler? What if it clashes with my eyes? What if…_

…_what if Anna likes it? Better yet, what if Anna _loves _it? After all, she always sees me in blue. She may have grown bored of it. Hm… maybe, maybe if she likes it alot then she won't feel the need to leave my side all night. And doesn't red have something to do with aggression? Isn't there some sort of psychology to that? Maybe it'll keep everyone else away! If all that's true, I won't have to worry about Anna running away to find a more suitable dance partner and I won't have to worry about her being _stolen_ away by the degenerates that are going to be at this ball. If anyone dares to put their hands on Anna... I honestly don't know what I'm going to do._

_It's not going to be good._

Elsa nodded to herself as she made her decision. She laid the blue dress down on the bed and took up the red one in her hands. She slipped it over her head as she continued to plan out her strategy for the evening.

_She can dance with Father if she so wishes, and of course she'll be dancing with me. I have to stake my claim somehow. _

She pulled the dress down over herself and was surprised to see that it was very similar in style to her other gown: form-fitting, smooth, it even had the slit on the right side. The bodice however wasn't beaded, and there was no sheer material to hide her arms. The sweetheart neckline was flattering however, highlighting her bust and collarbone.

When she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she froze. Blinking in surprise, her mouth fell open slightly as she stared at the seductress who stared right back at her.

…_why have I never worn red before?_

The color suited her perfectly; she was already picturing her lips painted red. Her hair however, maybe she'd leave her hair down. Anna's first experience of it had unfortunately been not a smooth curtain of platinum blonde, but wild, atrocious bedhead instead. She'd have to fix that. She ran a hand through her bangs, swept back and unkempt, and nodded to herself.

_Yes. Hair down. We're going for maximum swoon-inducing power. Maybe if Mother sees that we've both passed out she'll give us permission to spend the night in and we can just call for chocolates and cuddle. Yes. That sounds perfect. _

_Ugh, but Anna was so excited to dance tonight, I could tell. And I _would_ like to dance with her as well…_

Elsa sighed and sat herself down at the vanity, setting to work on doing her makeup. She lined her eyes with a simple black liquid liner, fleshed out her already-thick lashes with some mascara, and gave life to her pale cheeks with a soft pink blush. When it came time for her lips Elsa had to bite back the excitement in order to keep her hand steady. She couldn't remember ever having worn red lipstick before, and frankly she was shocked it was included in the arsenal of makeup she found waiting for her at the vanity.

But when she finally put it down and sat back to look at herself, she was pleased as all hell.

_Anna doesn't know what she's in for._

As her lips curled into a smug little smirk here was a knock at the door. Elsa's eyes widened and she shot up just as the door began to open. She self-consciously dragged a hand down over hips, smoothing away imaginary wrinkles in the fabric. She had to remind herself not to bite her lip, because she'd most definitely mess up her lipstick.

Anna stuck her head into the room and Elsa was caught between wanting to duck her eyes down to see the other girl's dress and wanting to watch Anna's face for her reaction.

"Elsa? Are you…" When Anna's eyes went wide and her jaw went slack Elsa was glad she'd chosen correctly. The blonde couldn't help the elated grin that slowly spread across her face as Anna continued to stare. The younger girl's eyes were roving over body like mad, seemingly unable to find a place to stick. The attention caused Elsa's body to slowly heat up with quivering anticipation, her hand clutching at the fabric of her dress. "Oh my God… Elsa, you look, you look…" Anna gulped. "D-different." When Elsa immediately cocked an incredulous brow Anna's eyes widened and she stepped fully into the room. "It's a good different! I-it's incredible, actually. You just, you look… _wow." _

_That's more like it._

Elsa grinned and let her eyes wander down to Anna's own dress. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise when she saw that Anna's gown was very similar to the one Elsa had first donned. Her favorite dress.

This one exposed much less freckled skin, the sweetheart neckline far more respectable. It was also a softer, warmer blue than Elsa's, though it could still be described as icy. It brought out the natural blue tones of Anna's eyes, making them sparkle like lapis-lazuli.

Elsa felt heat sear through her cheeks as she realized she enjoyed seeing Anna in _her _colors. Seeing Anna in blue, in a dress so similar it may as well have been Elsa's own… it was doing things to her. It was definitely bringing out her possessive side.

_Mine. _

Elsa raised a hand and gestured for Anna to come closer. Blushing madly, the redhead tripped over own feet and Elsa fought back the giggle rising in her throat. Instead the grin just stretched wider and when Anna placed her hand in hers Elsa pulled her over to the vanity and sat her down. "E-Elsa?"

Elsa just patted her head to silence her and looked at the redhead's reflection in the mirror. Her face grew serious as she ran a hand through Anna's unruly mane. Anna just flushed a deeper red and clenched her hands in her lap.

_Hm… _

Elsa reached for a brush and set to work on Anna's hair.

_Hair first, then her makeup. She barely needs any, but I want her to be perfect. I want everyone to see how beautiful she is… but even though they get to look it will be my girl they're looking at. My Anna. _

She set to work on braiding the soft auburn locks, enjoying their silky softness as she ran her fingers through them. She smiled when she was done, reaching blindly for hairpins to pin the intricate braid up into a bun. Elsa then gently pulled a few strands free to let them fall and frame Anna's face. Unable to stop herself, she traced a single finger down the back of Anna's neck, now exposed to the open air. Blue eyes glazed over when Anna shivered under her touch, but before she could go too far Elsa forced herself to pull away.

She gently turned the chair around and smiled down at the flustered redhead who refused to look at her. Gently she placed a finger beneath the girl's chin and slowly tilted her head back. She scrutinized the beauty of the flawless canvas beneath her, deciding on how she would go about this. After a minute of awkward silence between a nervous redhead and a pondering blonde, Elsa moved to the vanity and dug around in the drawers for an eyeliner pencil, a darker shade of blush, and an unassuming pink lip gloss.

Anna eyed the objects in the blonde's hands with distrust when Elsa returned to stand before her, but Elsa only grinned and dusted a brush over the shimmering blush. When she raised the brush to Anna's cheek the redhead sighed and let her eyes slide shut. Elsa nodded in satisfaction and set to work, lightly brushing the redhead's cheeks. When they were satisfactorily rosy she moved on to the eyeliner, placing a hand just under Anna's jaw to keep the girl's head steady. As gently as she could she darkened Anna's lash-line, smudging the eyeliner out ever so slightly to create a very gentle smoky eye. Mascara she would leave Anna to do herself.

Elsa paused when she picked up the gloss next, casting a tentative glance at Anna's lips. Breathing in deeply, Elsa uncapped the gloss and withdrew the wand, eyeing the light pink shine for a moment before glancing back at Anna's lips. They looked so soft, so inviting… Anna had her eyes closed after all. If Elsa was quick, she could…

_No. You told yourself you would wait, and you shall. You _will _make this perfect, for Anna, and for yourself._

…_better make this fast then._

With a shaky exhale Elsa leaned in, brushing the gloss gently over Anna's bottom lip. A shiver went down her spine when Anna jumped at the contact, lips parting to give Elsa better access.

The heat in Elsa's cheeks grew fiercer when she realized the implications of the phrasing of that sentence.

She moved on to Anna's top lip next, placing her free hand on Anna's skin for the third time. She told herself it was to keep the younger girl's head steady, but in all actuality she just really needed a distraction from the kissable pink lips before her. Admittedly it worked, but not in the way she wanted. Instead of marveling at how soft Anna's lips looked, she instead found herself obsessed with how soft Anna's skin was. Even after she finished her work with Anna's lips she remained close, her thumb rubbing circles on the redhead's jawline.

Her eyes had drifted to where her hand was, so she missed it when Anna finally opened her own eyes. They widened at seeing how close Elsa was, and for a moment Anna entertained the idea of pulling away.

But instead of the dark, hazy blue eyes Anna was so used to seeing whenever Elsa was this far into her personal space, the blonde's eyes were bright and gentle. Elsa wasn't even looking at _her_ actually, no… where _was _she looking?

And then Anna felt the hand at her jaw, felt the gentle pressure of Elsa's thumb running back and forth over her skin. It felt… nice. Really nice.

As Elsa distracted herself with the softness of Anna's skin, Anna let herself admire the blonde's beauty from up close.

She'd never seen Elsa wear makeup before. It was… different. Much different. Of course, Elsa's skin was already flawless, and she was always pretty no matter what, but now she looked so… mature. Her eyes seemed bigger, her cheekbones more defined. It only reinforced the fact that Elsa was actually two full years older than her.

And very attractive.

When Elsa finally turned her gaze back to Anna her eyes widened.

She hadn't realized Anna had opened her eyes, and for a moment she panicked. What if Anna grew uncomfortable again? What if Elsa had scared her?

But Anna wasn't meeting her eyes. She was staring, but it took Elsa a moment to realize _where. _When she did, she couldn't help but smirk.

_I should definitely wear red more often._

Anna was shamelessly staring at her lips.

And the urge to kiss her grew tenfold. The hand at Anna's jaw slid up to cup the girl's cheek, and when Anna leaned into the touch without breaking her stare Elsa felt the temptation swirl inside of her like a storm. They were so close, and she'd waited so long… what would one little peck hurt? One quick, easy, tiny little peck.

_But I want _more _than that. And I just did her makeup… red isn't her color. I'd have to do it all over again, and that would take too long. We'll be expected downstairs soon anyway…_

_Damn it. Patience is horribly aggravating._

With a sigh Elsa pulled away, however she did allow herself the pleasure of dragging her hand down the redhead's neck to her shoulder, bracing herself as she pushed herself up to stand straight. Anna blinked in surprise, her face blushing bright red as her eyes fell to her lap.

"U-Um… a-are you done? I-I mean, that is, um… am I pretty now?" Elsa just rolled her eyes and turned the girl around, thoroughly pleased with what she saw in the mirror. Evidently, Anna was too, because the redhead let out a quiet gasp.

Elsa had kept her face quite natural, only highlighting her already-beautiful features. Her cheeks were rosy, the eyeliner bolding her lash-line and making her bright, happy eyes pop.

_And I've already made it clear how I feel about those adorable little lips…_

"E-Elsa, this is just, wow! I mean, I look completely like me, but, but better! Wow!" Anna scooted forward, turning her head this way and that to admire her reflection. "Can you just do my makeup for me every day?"

Elsa's shoulders shook in a silent giggle. She reached for the mascara tube and handed it to Anna, gently patting the girl's shoulder as an invitation to use it. Anna nodded excitedly and set to work, giving Elsa the chance to stare unabashedly at the gorgeous girl before her, a dopey grin spreading across her face.

But then her eyes widened as she remembered that her hair still needed to be done.

Elsa grabbed a brush, missing the way Anna's cheeks lit up as her arm reached across the vanity (and her body) to do so. When Anna asked where she was going Elsa just ran a hand through her unruly hair and narrowed her eyes playfully when Anna giggled in response. Once again she flicked a finger against the redhead's forehead, grinning when Anna stuck out her tongue in response, and made her way to the bathroom.

She set her brush down and dug around in the cabinet beneath the sink, smiling triumphantly when she found a bottle of Moroccan oil (which not only did wonders for her hair but smelled delicious as well) and a curling wand.

_Mother certainly did go all out when preparing these rooms. _

She plugged in the curling wand first, giving it time to heat up. Then she squeezed a small amount of oil into her hand, taking a moment to enjoy the smell before running it through her mane of messy platinum, gently taking apart any knots she found with her fingers. When she was sure she'd evenly distributed the oil all throughout her hair she grabbed the brush.

Just then, the door to Anna's room opened.

Elsa froze.

"Oh my… Elsa! I never thought you'd choose that one! You look wonderful!" It was her mother. Elsa kept her eyes trained firmly on her reflection, the brush in her hands halfway to her hair. Her mother approached her, and in her peripherals Elsa could see that her mother looked truly excited.

It made her feel… odd. Pleased, maybe… but the ever-present anxiety she felt around other people was still very much there.

"Elsa..." Elsa eyebrows rose at her mother's tone. The woman sounded... afraid. Afraid, but so very hopeful. "Do you think, maybe I could…"

Elsa was silent. She knew what her mother wanted. She could tell that she was afraid to ask, however. And that made Elsa feel just the tiniest bit of guilt. Her mother must have gone through so much to get all of this ready for Anna and herself… it was all due to her that Elsa even got to have this time with the redhead.

_I owe her. I owe her something._

Without a sound, without even so much as moving her eyes, Elsa handed her mother the hairbrush. Catrine must have been shocked, because it took her a moment to find the courage to take it. There was silence in the room for a moment, before Catrine choked back a sob.

Elsa internally winced.

_Oh mother…_

"T-Thank you, dear." And her mother came to stand behind her, gently running a hand through Elsa's hair before the brush followed. The pair was silent, Catrine's eyes shining with unshed tears, a smile beaming on her face as she brushed her daughter's hair for the first time in over a decade. Elsa let her eyes fall shut, enjoying the indescribable pleasure of having someone else weave their fingers through one's hair.

"Elsa… are you going to be alright tonight? Guests will be arriving soon, and I want to make sure you'll be able to handle them. You have Miss Christian of course, but still… I don't want you to feel pressured. Or uncomfortable."

_I have Anna, mother. I'm more worried about _her _than I am myself._

"How is Miss Christian, by the way? Did you like her second gown? Much more appropriate, I think. Edna did an amazing job."

_She did. I'm thoroughly pleased. With both, I must admit._

"Elsa… I, I want you to be careful with Miss Christian."

Elsa opened her eyes, staring at her reflection. Her mother had stopped brushing. There was a moment of tense silence as Elsa narrowed her eyes, confused. Her mother stepped around her, placing the brush on the counter before grabbing the curling wand. Her mother held up a hand to test the wand for heat, and when she found it to be radiating a satisfactory temperature she reached for a lock of Elsa's hair. Elsa turned slightly, granting her mother better access as the older woman wound the hair loosely around the wand.

Elsa was waiting. Her mother knew she was.

"I… I believe that Miss Christian is good for you. Obviously so, otherwise she wouldn't be here. However, Miss Christian is her own person, with her own life and problems. You understand that, right?"

A frown tugged at Elsa's lips, drawing harsh lines across her brow.

_Well of course… of course I know that! What are you trying to say? I make Anna happy, I do! She always smiles when she's with me!_

"I don't want to see Miss Christian hurt. She is good for you, Elsa dear, but you need to be good to her as well."

_What is _that_ supposed to mean? I am good to her! I… I care so deeply for her that it terrifies me! I _need _her in my life, why would I ever want to hurt her? _

Her mother stepped back and Elsa glanced back at her reflection. Her eyes softened when she saw that her mother had done a wonderful job with her hair, using the wand to create rippling waves of blonde that framed her face quite beautifully. Her mother placed a hand on her shoulder and even though she kept her gaze firmly on the glass Elsa did turn her head ever so slightly in her mother's direction.

"Elsa… just remember this. You and Miss Christian are essentially strangers. All you know of her family is her brother, whose problems weigh heavily on her young heart. You don't know her friends, you don't know her lifestyle… all you know is what she offers you. If you want to know her more, as I am very sure you do, then you'll have to work for it. You'll have to earn it. Miss Christian won't walk into the visitor's lounge one day and hand you her heart, wrapped up in a box."

Elsa's face fell at the thought, understanding flashing across her features. Her mother continued on, gently stroking Elsa's shoulder with her thumb.

"Even if she did… you wouldn't be in a position to accept it."

Elsa stiffened, eyes widening in fear at the implications.

_Mother knows… mother knows how I feel. She's not judging me… she's _warning _me. She knows what Anna means to me and she accepts it, she's even helping it grow. This weekend, all the progress I've made… mother is responsible for all of it. _

_But… she's right. I-I can't, even if by some miracle Anna and I did reach that point, even if she did grow to love me… would I be worthy? Would it be fair?_

_Oh, God… it wouldn't, would it? It wouldn't be fair to her at all! She already has one loved one locked away in that awful place… even Anna's big heart couldn't handle two._

Her mind was racing, chest beginning to heave as her heart-rate rapidly began to climb. If she wanted Anna to be hers, she'd have to change. She'd have to find a way back into the real world… where Anna was. She couldn't drag down Anna with her, she wouldn't let herself.

_Or would you? You've spent half the night planning out how to keep other potential dance partners away, have you not? _

Elsa was close to terrified, her eyes wide with fear. She felt sick, she felt sweaty… and her mind to continue to accuse her.

_It would be just like you to keep her all to yourself, to claim her as your own and never let anyone else so much as touch her. That's what you really want, isn't it? Isn't that what love is? Sole ownership of the heart of another, another who has been given sole ownership of yours. Anna has yours… so don't you want to take hers?_

_No… no, that can't be right. That can't be right! I don't… I don't want to take anything, I would never _take _anything from Anna. All I want is her happiness! All I need is what she gives me!_

_Right?!_

Warm lips on her forehead broke her free from her panic spell.

"It's alright, dear." It was her mother. Her mother was gazing up at her (now when had she gotten that tall?), affection clear in her eyes.

_Her eyes._

Elsa blinked in surprise.

_Lavender._

She was looking at her mother. For the first time in a decade… Elsa was looking at her mother.

_When did she become so… frail? _

There were lines of age on her mother's face: at her eyes, her mouth. Her hair had been dyed recently, Elsa could tell. Probably to hide the grey that had begun to creep in. Elsa was also taller than her, by about an inch or so. The woman before her looked small, small and fragile. Nothing like the confident, smiling woman she barely remembered from her youth… not even like the morose, aloof woman that glided through the halls after weeks of depression kept her hidden in her bedroom.

Catrine had a hand on both of Elsa's cheeks, being careful not to mess up the blonde's makeup. Her eyes were filled with nothing but affection, glassy from heartfelt tears still unshed.

"Elsa dear, you don't have to be afraid. I have faith in you. In both of you."

Elsa was silent. She continued to stare, mind blank as she tried to burn her mother's face into her memory. Who knew when she'd find herself capable of meeting someone's gaze again?

Her mother smiled, and pressed another quick kiss to her forehead before wrapping her arms around Elsa's shoulders, drawing the blonde in close to her body.

"You'll be fine. You're stronger than you realize."

After one final squeeze her mother released her and stepped back. Elsa eyes fell to the floor, her arms folding across her stomach. Her mother rolled her eyes at the action, folding her own hands before her.

"Be downstairs with Miss Christian in an hour."

With that, Catrine left the room, a serene smile on her face.

She didn't see it, but after a few more moments of staring blankly at the floor, the corner f Elsa's mouth quirked up in a barely-there smile.

And nodded.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey babes. I know I usually post on Sundays... but tonight's St. Paddy's day. I plan on celebrating <em>quite <em>thoroughly. So, I'm posting this now just in case I wake up tomorrow with a hangover so bad I'd rather be dead.**

**Capisce?**

**Aight, capisce. Go enjoy your weekends.**

**-Cel**


	20. Chapter 20

Anna was nervous.

Scratch that, she was _terrified._

She toyed with the collar of her gown, palms sweating as she looked at herself in the mirror. Thanks to Elsa (who was apparently a wiz with hair and makeup) she looked fantastic, but even though she may have looked the part of proper lady she was still the same old klutz underneath.

_The same old klutz who's totally going to embarrass herself._

She'd spent the last ten or so minutes picturing countless scenarios where she either tripped, said something dumb, or knocked something over. Some, like the one where she ended up flat on her bum on the floor with the punch bowl atop her head, its contents staining her dress, were rather imaginative. All ended with her screwing up.

She sighed, propping her elbows up on the vanity table and resting her chin atop her hands. "I could really use some chocolate right now."

She sat there in mopey silence, lower lip jutting out in a pout. But when she heard the bathroom door open she jumped, turning to look over her shoulder just as Elsa walked back into the room. Anna's lips curled up into the earliest stages of a grin, but the sullen look on the blonde's face immediately had her frowning.

"Elsa?" The blonde had been looking at the floor, but her gaze lifted at the sound of her name. Her hair was done, and Anna took a moment to admire the shining blonde waves before rising from her seat. Elsa let the bathroom door fall shut and folded her arms across her stomach, eyes falling to the floor once again as Anna crossed the room. The redhead took notice and her eyes narrowed in concern. She hurried, quickening her steps until she found herself standing before her friend. Anna ducked her head to meet Elsa's eyes, which had been bright and happy before she entered the bathroom.

They were now dull and distant… her mind clearly elsewhere.

Anna bit her lip before straightening back up, absentmindedly playing with her hands as she tried to find a way to rectify the situation. "Um…" Elsa didn't respond, and Anna just grew more nervous.

_Come on Anna, make her smile. You're good at that, right? Just… I don't know, be your awkward normal self! Um… should I try a compliment? Compliments usually make girls smile, don't they? Jeez Anna, you're a girl, shouldn't you know this?_

…_well, usually compliments make me blush and ramble like an idiot. Kinda like I'm doing now. _

_God, even in my _head _I ramble._

Shaking her head to shake away the self-deprecating thoughts, Anna let her hands fall to her sides. She cleared her throat loudly, and Elsa stiffened at the sound. "I-I really like your hair." Elsa's grip on her own arms softened, body relaxing ever so slightly. The action was a green light for Anna, who immediately brightened and continued. "Like, really like it! I mean, I like your usual braid too, and I especially like what you did with mine! I just, I don't know, never figured you'd be good at this kind of stuff. Makeup too, you did mine so well! A-and yours is… well, if I thought you were gorgeous before then now I… uh," she let out a nervous giggle, bringing up one hand to toy with one of the loose strands of auburn hair Elsa had left free from the intricate bun. "Well, _that_ was awkward of me to say. Not that it's not true! I mean, of course you are! Have you seen yourself? T-that dress is just… _wow_ and, a-actually this whole weekend you've been wow and not that you're not always wow but…"

_Shut up Anna shut up shut up shut up_

Anna gulped and dropped her gaze to the floor, toeing the carpet as her teeth returned to her lip. There was silence in the room as she continued to berate herself for _yet again _running her mouth. She hadn't rambled in front of Elsa (or been conscious of it at least) for a long time. Not since the start of their friendship, actually. Some small part of her wondered why that was, but then a hand on her shoulder brought her reckless brain to a sudden stop.

Looking up, Anna's heart skipped a beat at the sight of a misty-eyed Elsa smiling down at her. The hand on her shoulder moved to the back of her neck, and Anna smiled bashfully as Elsa began to apply pressure, the blonde's other arm coming up to wrap around her shoulders. Anna closed her eyes and stepped forward, arms wrapping around Elsa's thin waist as she nuzzled her cheek against a pale shoulder.

It was a just like that day in the institute, just like the first time they'd hugged. It was warm, secure, and it just made Anna feel like the luckiest person in the world.

_I've said it before and I'll say it again: Elsa gives the best hugs._

And it was true. Their height difference was just slight enough so that Anna's head fit perfectly in the crook between Elsa's neck and shoulder, and there was a certain security in the feel of having the blonde's chin rest atop her head. The two girls let out content sighs, enjoying the warmth for however much time they stood in that embrace, be it a minute or two or ten.

When Anna finally pulled back far enough to see Elsa's face, she grinned triumphantly at the return of the bright blue eyes she'd grown to adore: happy and kind and wonderful. "There we go."

Elsa tilted her head to the side, curious. Anna's grin only widened. "Your eyes were sad, and now they're not." Elsa blushed, one hand coming up to run through her silky blonde hair. "Don't do that!" Anna slapped the blonde's hand away, brows rising expectantly when Elsa jumped in surprise. "You'll mess up your hair, and it looks so nice."

Elsa regarded her for a moment before rolling her eyes and shaking her head ever so slightly. Anna took on an expression of mock offense as she stepped away. "Don't you roll your eyes at me, Your Majesty. If you want to look like a mess, go right ahead. See if I care." Anna huffed and turned her head, chest swelling with snooty pride as she put her hands on her hips.

Elsa raised her chin and cocked her hip. The pair had a silent stand-off, a smirk curling at Elsa's ruby-painted lips as Anna fought to ignore the blonde's piercing stare. When the blonde had had enough she reached out and poked Anna in the stomach, grinning when the redhead immediately lost her composure and mewled in protest, hands crossing over her stomach to protect herself from further assault.

"Hey!" the redhead shouted, "Not fair!" When Elsa's grin turned devious and she raised her hands, fingers itching to dish out another tickle assault, Anna's eyes widened and she jumped away. "No no no, no tickling! This is a big night and with my luck something will rip or I'll trip and one of us will end up with a twisted ankle or something and I will _not _be held responsible for-"

But she was cut off when Elsa placed a hand over her mouth, the blonde's face serious as she stared down at Anna. Cheeks pink, Anna stared right back.

Elsa's eyes were firm, but gentle. As was the hand on her mouth, holding back yet another session of rambling laced with worry and self-blame.

'_Stop.' _

That was what Elsa's eyes said. Anna's face grew warm and she gently pulled Elsa's hand away from her mouth. "Okay, okay. I get it. No more babbling Anna. I'll be nice to myself."

Elsa smiled proudly and nodded.

"…but worst case scenario here. Let's just say that, hypothetically, I were to somehow wind up in the punch bowl. On a scale of 1 to 100, how socially damaging would that be?"

…and then promptly smacked a hand to her forehead.

* * *

><p>"You got this Christian, you <em>so <em>got this. You're ready, you were _born_ ready, yes you were!"

Anna was bouncing on the balls of her feet, debating how long it would take for her feet to get sore in the white wedges Elsa had loaned her. Elsa was by her side, arms comfortably folded across her stomach. The taller girl eyed her wearily, gaze soft as an adoring smile curled at her lips.

They were in foyer, waiting for Mr. and Mrs. Helland to come fetch them and bring them into the ballroom. Anna had been psyching herself up since they'd left the bedroom about ten minutes ago, her cheers getting increasingly less coherent as they'd gone on. By now half of it had devolved into motivational noises and mumbles, but the occasional phrase still made it through.

With a soft exhale Elsa let her hands fall to her sides and she reached out for Anna. Gently she grasped the redhead's hand, interlacing their fingers.

Anna immediately calmed, her bouncing ceasing as she looked up. Elsa was confident, her smile calm and reassuring. Anna was still anxious, but seeing Elsa look so relaxed did help ease her nerves. "I guess I shouldn't worry too much, I mean… I have you after all."

Elsa's eyes widened, face flushing as she looked away. Anna smiled as she subconsciously admired the line of Elsa's jaw.

"Here you are! You both look lovely."

Anna looked up and smiled at Mr. Helland, who was dressed sharply in a fine tuxedo, the black fabric practically shining. "Hi, Mr. Helland! You look great!"

Anton smiled, bowing to both his daughter and her friend. He straightened up and folded his arms behind him. "Why thank you my dear. I see that Miss Mode has once again outdone herself; she actually did my suit for this evening as well and, being the old friend of the family that she is, didn't charge a dime. And I can see that you did in fact let Elsa style your hair for the evening! Not a bad look, though I did enjoy the other just as well." When Anna flushed he laughed and offered her an arm. "And seeing as my daughter already has your other side, will you allow me to aid in your escort this evening?"

Anna nodded enthusiastically, sending Elsa a quick grin which the blonde shyly returned. She slipped her left arm through Anton's, and allowed him to lead her out of the foyer and into the hall that would lead them to the party, Elsa following with her grip on the redhead's hand secure. As they walked the sounds of the party began to echo in Anna's ears: lively music and indiscernible chatter.

The redhead began to grow nervous all over again, but she forced herself to remain calm, focusing on the warmth of Elsa's hand in hers.

_I can do this. Elsa's got faith in me, Mr. and Mrs. Helland have faith in me… I can do this._

When they reached their destination it wasn't a pair of grand, intricately decorated ornate doors as Anna had imagined, but a simple, single door with a simple (but still antique and beautiful) gilded handle. She must have looked confused, because Anton turned to her and laughed.

"The main doors are more impressive Miss Christian, I promise you. But my wife and I thought it would be best if we didn't announce your presence so boldly." He winked at her before pushing open the door, prompting Anna to step forward to see inside.

The room was already filled with people, she could tell by the noise, and the sounds of music that she'd heard during their walk doubled in volume as it spilled out from the door frame and into the hall. It sounded like a live band, playing a collection of classy instruments, some easily recognizable (like the piano and violin) and others not so much. Glancing back at Elsa, who nodded encouragingly, Anna took her first few tentative steps inside.

Her eyes widened at what she saw. "Oh wow…"

The ballroom was beautiful, not overly large in size but big enough to hold about two hundred people, at least judging by the amount of people already present. The floor was polished wood and the walls alternated color, shifting between the marvelous red that decorated the foyer and a creamy off-white. Both colors were complemented with gilded framing, and there was a grand chandelier in the center of the ceiling. Mr. Helland had led them to a side door, out of sight unless you were actively looking for it. When Anna stepped through the threshold a few curious glances were thrown her way, but that was it. There was no terrifying announcement or grand entrance, and so half of Anna's fears were instantly abated.

Excited, she glanced behind her once again to flash Elsa a dazzling smile, gently tugging the blonde forward. "Come on, Elsa! This is so cool!"

Elsa smiled and allowed herself to be pulled forward into the ballroom, her father following close behind. Anna's eyes darted this way and that, admiring everything from the beauty of the room, to the absolutely _stacked _dessert table (which she would be visiting as soon as humanly possible), to the beautiful dresses on every woman present. Everything looked so elegant and sophisticated

"Come on girls, Catrine wants to speak with you both before the night progresses."

"Okay!" Anna moved to follow Mr. Helland through the crowd, but when he had to push his way between two men she paused. She turned to Elsa, whose eyes were still fixed on her. The blonde tilted her head, one brow rising in curiosity. Anna grinned and dropped the blonde's hand. Elsa's eyes immediately filled with the beginnings of panic but in the very next instant Anna looped her arm through the blonde's and pulled her close. "I don't want to lose you."

Anna turned and followed after Mr. Helland so she missed it when Elsa's jaw dropped, blue eyes flying wide open at the possible double meaning of the redhead's words.

Politely pushing her way through the crowd, making sure to keep Elsa a safe distance away from risking possible contact with any strangers, Anna soon found herself staring wide-eyed at Mrs. Helland, dressed in a floor-length amethyst gown with a black bodice. The older woman smiled when she saw them, hands folded demurely before her. Anton was at her side, a hand wrapped comfortably around his wife's waist.

Anna waved with her free hand. "Hi, Mrs. Helland! You look absolutely amazing, and this place is amazing! I hope you don't mind, but that snack table and I are about to become very good friends."

Catrine raised a hand to hide her laugh, elegant as always. "Of course, dear. However, do try and save some for the rest of us now, hm?" Anna nodded feverishly and Catrine's smiled stretched wider. "But I don't expect you to be there all night, I expect to see you dancing at some point. This is a party after all! In fact…" she looked up at her husband and grinned, who nodded in response and stepped forward. "Why don't you let my husband lead you in your first waltz? I assure you, he's quite an easy-going partner. I'll keep Elsa entertained whilst you go, and once the song's done you two can enjoy your night."

Anton stretched out a hand and Anna stared at it for a moment before glancing up at Elsa.

_Should I leave her alone? What if she gets scared?_

But before she had time to refuse she felt Elsa's arm slipped from hers. Elsa was smiling down at her, and there was a suddenly a hand pushing her forward. She stumbled slightly, panic lacing through her when she stepped on the hem of her gown, but she managed to catch her balance and sent the blonde a playful glare. "Alright, alright. Jeez, so pushy." Elsa's smile merely widened and the blonde ducked her head, moving to her mother's side with her hands folded neatly before her.

Anna smoothed out her dress before she put her hand in Anton's, and as he turned to lead her out onto the dance floor she looked back to thank Mrs. Helland. When she did, she had to do a double take.

Both Catrine and Elsa were smiling at her, hands folded before them. Now that Anna was seeing them both side by side, she realized for the first time that Elsa was truly the spitting image of her mother. Aside from the obvious differences, like the blonde hair and their eye color, both women had the exact same face structure. The same body type, the same elegant bearing… even their _smiles _was similar. Even though Anna liked to think Elsa's was just a tad bit warmer, a tad more… intimate.

The redhead's cheeks flushed at the thought and she turned back around, forgetting the reason she'd even looked in the first place.

Anton pulled her out onto the smooth dance floor, and now she could feel the eyes on her. Everywhere she glanced, she saw guests giving her curious glances. Some with narrowed eyes, some with curious grins, and others even _appreciative, _and the blush in her cheeks grew fiercer under the scrutiny.

"Pay them no mind, Miss Christian. They are just simply curious as to how such a stunning young woman found herself here among the stuffy old rabble tonight." Anna snapped to attention and found Mr. Helland smiling down at her. "Now, you do waltz, correct?"

"O-oh, yeah. Elsa and I practiced for a bit before the party."

"Good! Because we'll be starting in a few moments." Raising his thick brows, Anton placed a hand on her waist and waited for Anna to place a hand on his shoulder. His grip on her hand was gentle, the hand on her waist strong and comforting. Anna sent a quick glance at the band, a collection of men and women in suits surrounded by instruments and sheet music, before flashing the patriarch a weak smile.

"I'd just like to apologize now, in case I step on your toes or throw you off balance or anything."

Anton simply shook his head. "I'm sure you'll be fine," he said with a chuckle.

And then the music started.

At first, Anna was terrified. With every step she feared she'd trip or miss the beat, but Mr. Helland lead her very well and as they circled the floor she found herself growing more and more confident. It got to the point where Anton felt confident enough to twirl her, grinning in triumph when the redhead giggled like a child and returned to the waltz with renewed vigor.

"You know Miss Christian, for a girl who was so worried about tripping over her own feet, you are quite graceful. I don't see why you're always second guessing yourself."

Anna grinned sheepishly. "Just a quirk, I guess. I tend to ramble, which I'm sure you've already noticed, and back when I was younger a few of the other kids in school used to tease me for it. It always made me nervous, you know? Afraid that I was saying too much. And when I get nervous I get clumsy. Like, trip down a flight of stairs, ride my bike into the curb kind of clumsy. I remember when I was 12 I was horseback riding at my uncle's farm and my cousin had a friend over and he started teasing me about my freckles." Anton spun her once more, and when she twirled back into his arms she started up her story again without missing a beat. "So I was trying to tell him off and I wasn't paying attention so when the horse I was riding, Max I think his name was, trotted past a tree one of the branches whipped me right across the forehead. I'm pretty sure I still have a little scar from it."

Anton frowned down at her. "Miss Christian, your 'so-called' rambling is one of your greatest traits. I think that it betrays your honest and kind-hearted nature. Many people wish for the confidence to speak freely, as you do."

Anna, embarrassed, let her eyes fall to the polished floor as they continued the waltz. "I-I don't think it's that… I'm really just socially awkward and I don't know when to shut up."

"Does my daughter think that way?"

Anna's eyes widened and she looked up at Mr. Helland, who was staring down at her with a brow quirked. "U-uh…"

Anton's chestnut eyes left her for a moment, flicking up to look over her shoulder before a wide grin spread over his face. "Well, maybe you should ask her."

And all at once Anna realized that the song had ended and that they were no longer moving. She blinked, staring blankly up at the man who had pulled away from her, his hands held folded behind his back. She became aware of a warm presence behind her, and when she turned she saw Elsa standing a few feet away, arms folded across her stomach. Her mother was by her side, a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"E-Elsa!"

The blonde grinned, waving shyly at her. Anna waved back, sending a curious glance at Catrine. The brunette simply smiled and moved past her to take her husband's arm. "I told you, one dance and you two were free to spend the night as you please. Now if you girls will excuse me, I'm going to dance with my husband now. Ready, dear?"

Anton grinned, leaning down to kiss his wife's cheek. "Always, my love. Have a lovely evening, ladies. We'll be around if you need us." He gave Anna a wink before leading his wife off into another waltz.

Anna watched them go. A warm arm slipped through hers and when she looked to her right she saw Elsa gazing down at her curiously. The redhead flushed at the sudden proximity, Anton's words still ringing in her head.

_What _does_ Elsa think of me?_

"U-um, right. Well, I got the dancing done, want to go demolish the chocolate?"

Elsa nodded and together they turned to leave the dance floor, heading straight for the dessert table. As they did, Anna's mind began to wander.

_I mean, yeah, she likes spending time with me and… well, I know that she feels _something _for me, but I don't know what. Obviously I have an _idea, _I'm not that oblivious. But, does she think I'm cute, like an awkward, hyperactive kind of cute? Or is it something more than that? Because, I mean… she _fainted_ when she saw me in that first dress. Literally fainted. And even though that was both terrifying and hilarious at the same time… does it mean that she's like, seriously into me or was it more of like a shock factor? Usually when I'm at the institute it's in jeans or leggings and whatever shirt I threw on that morning. Not exactly attractive._

_I was shocked when I saw her in her dress after all. I mean, _wow. _She's looked really nice this whole weekend actually… why doesn't she dress like that at the institute? _

For the first time in her life, Anna found herself frustrated with the fact that she couldn't just _ask _Elsa these things.

_God, and her parents have been feeling this way for ten years. _

Anna didn't realize they'd made it to the dessert table until she felt something poking her cheek. She yelped and flinched away, wincing when Elsa fixed her with a quizzical gaze.

"Sorry, just lost in my head I guess. I'm fine though." Elsa narrowed her eyes, clearly not believing her. Anna raised her hands in defense. "I promise!"

Elsa stared at her for a moment more before her shoulders sank in a visible exhale, blue eyes rolling as she turned to the table. She eyed the plates upon plates of dessert before her eyes settle on a tray of chocolate truffles. She sent Anna a sly smile and reached for one. Instead of eating it however, she raised it to Anna's lips, smile growing when Anna's eyes widened. When Anna began to protest, attempting to shuffle away Elsa followed, her lower lip jutting out in a sad pout. Anna's heart fluttered at the sight, and after an awkward standoff the redhead relented to the blonde's wishes.

She sighed and opened her mouth, waiting for the chocolate treat. Satisfaction sparkled in Elsa's eyes as the blonde fed her. Anna's was pretty sure her face was beet red, she could feel the uncomfortable heat in her ears, but as she chewed the sweet taste of chocolate eased away her embarrassment.

Finally she swallowed. "Milk chocolate with coconut cream in the middle. Not bad." Before Anna could survey the desserts herself another truffle was held before her, this one darker in color. The redhead cocked a brow, eyeing the truffle before her as Elsa continued to smile that sly little smile. "Is this a challenge?"

Elsa nodded, eyes playful. Anna's own eyes narrowed.

_How dare she question my knowledge of chocolate._

"Fine. Bring it on, Your Majesty."

And so went another six truffles, Anna chomping down on each and identifying the flavors within seconds. With each treat Elsa grew more and more impressed, and it took her more time to pick out a truffle from the plate, trying to figure out which oddly-colored ball of chocolate would stump the smug redhead.

After another three, Elsa conceded defeat, raising her hands in surrender and bowing her head to Anna, who had her arms crossed, her chin raised confidently. "See? You never should have doubted me. For I, Anna Christian, am the master of all things chocolate and-"

"_ANNA-BANAWNA!"_

Anna and Elsa both froze. Anna in particular, if one could somehow metaphorically freeze more intensely than someone else.

_I know that voice…_

Anna turned just in time to see a flash of brown hair before there were arms wrapped around her waist, squeezing the life out of her. She let out a strangled gasp and fear immediately swirled in Elsa's eyes, the blonde's entire body tensing. But after a moment Anna began to giggle, struggling to free her arms so she could return the hug. Blue eyes grew rife with confusion as Anna succeeded in wrapping her arms around the shoulders of her assailant.

"Rapunzel!" When her cousin finally released her Anna jumped back. Rapunzel was staring down at her with affection in her bright green eyes, complemented by the pink floor-length gown she was wearing. Her hair, to Anna's surprise, was no longer long and thick but short and choppy, barely making it to her shoulders. "You cut your hair!"

"Yep! Got tired of taking care of it, so I chopped it all off. Now, you want to tell me what you're doing here? When you said you got invited to a party I'm pretty sure this was the _last _thing I imagined."

"Yeah, thanks for never texting me back, by the way. Some loving cousin you are." Anna grinned, looking over her shoulder to smile reassuringly at Elsa, who was staring at her with concern. Anna raised a hand and gestured for to come forward, and after a moment Elsa gingerly stepped up to her side, lacing her arm through the redhead's and tucking in close to her side. "Well, Elsa invited me, actually."

Rapunzel's eyes widened and she bowed her head respectfully to the blushing blonde, even though Elsa was too busy staring at Anna's feet to see it. "Miss Helland! I-I had no idea. Um… well, I would ask how that happened but that would be incredibly rude so… you both look fantastic, by the way! You look really great, Anna-banawna! Like a real lady. Took you long enough."

A ginger eyebrow twitched at the use of the ridiculous nickname and the stuffy English inflection her cousin used to make the two words rhyme. Anna narrowed her eyes playfully, lacing her fingers through Elsa's to give the blonde's hand a gentle squeeze. "Hey, I'm not the one who runs around barefoot half the time. And just how did _you_ get invited to this shindig?"

Rapunzel stuck her tongue out before crossing her arms. "Well duh, dad and the Helland's are neighbors. The ranch is literally like five minutes down the road, our properties even share a boundary line. You know, the side with the forest and the little stream where we used to play as kids?"

Anna's eyes flew wide with surprise. "What? No way!"

Rapunzel nodded in confirmation. "Yep! Way. He's around here somewhere, if you want to say hi. Eugene would be too, but you know how he feels about dancing. Speaking of which, this all actually makes so much sense now. I thought that was you dancing with Mr. Helland, but at first I didn't believe it. Forget the fact that I never would have guessed that you knew the Hellands: you barely ever wear dresses, and you hate dancing almost as much as he does!"

Anna pouted, cheeks puffing out. "I so do not! I was just never good at it! And I do _too _wear dresses… when I'm comfortable in them at least."

Rapunzel giggled, eyes flicking back and forth between Anna and Elsa. "Yeah, you look _really _comfortable."

The grip Elsa had on her hand tightened and Anna frowned at the implications of her cousin's words. "Oh yeah? Well as a matter of fact I am. So comfortable in fact that, you know what? That dancing thing I don't do? I'm about to do it. Right now. Y'know…" she sent a shy glance at Elsa, who had raised her head to meet Anna's eyes. "If my partner wants to."

Elsa flushed, but couldn't stop the elated, eager smile that spread across her face. She nodded enthusiastically, and Anna smiled softly in response. Rapunzel watched the exchange with a keen gaze, grinning at the two awkwardly adorably girls before her. "Well by all means," she said, stepping away to give them room. "Don't let little old me stop you."

"Why thank you, we won't. Come on, Elsa." Making sure to stick her tongue out at her cousin when they passed by, Elsa and Anna once again made their way onto the dance floor just as one of the livelier dances ended. As they waited for the next song to start Anna took the time to apologize for her cousin's brash entrance. "Sorry about Rapunzel, she's always been like that. Loud and well… yeah, loud. But she means well! Her and my aunt practically raised me, and I turned out okay so she can't be all bad!"

Elsa looked like she was about to giggle, but then something made her frown. The blonde paused, lips pursing as her dark eyebrows drew together. In an instant her head snapped up and she stared hard into Anna's eyes, topaz-blue irises swirling with sudden interest and confusion. Anna's face fell slightly. "What's wrong?"

Anna's heart-rate picked up when Elsa opened her mouth, as if to speak. No sound came out, though the blonde looked so serious that for a split second Anna expected there to be. Elsa's eyes screwed shut, her brow furrowing in frustration as her mouth continued to open and close. Anna grew worried, placing her hands on Elsa's shoulders to try and get her attention. "Elsa? Elsa, what's wrong?"

When the blonde opened her eyes back up they were glassy, the beginnings of tears shining in her eyes. Anna's heart clenched at the sight.

_She's trying. She's… trying to say something! But she can't, and... oh God she's trying so hard._

"Oh, Elsa…" Anna leaned forward, pressing her forehead to Elsa's and staring deep into the taller girl's eyes. "Don't force yourself. You don't have to! I can tell that it's hurting you! Look, it's okay that you can't talk to me right now. That's not what matters. What matters is that I know you care, okay?"

But Elsa just shook her head from side to side, her hands coming up to grip Anna's cheeks, blue eyes desperately boring into teal.

_I wish I knew what she was trying to say… dammit Anna, why aren't you a mind reader?!_

Anna sighed. She wasn't a mind reader. She never would be. She'd have to fix this her own way. She looked to the right, at the band. They were just starting up a new song, another waltz. She turned back to Elsa, whose eyes had fallen to the floor again. Gently, Anna took one of Elsa's hands in her own, the other she let rest on the taller girl's hip. Elsa shivered at the contact, breath shuddering as her eyes came back up to meet Anna's. The redhead smiled softly.

"We can figure this out later, okay? Together. But if I remember correctly, we came out here to dance. So let's dance." Elsa stared at her for a moment, expression unreadable. But then she relented, her free hand coming to rest on Anna's shoulder. "You led this afternoon, so why don't I give it a try now?"

Elsa nodded distractedly, thumb rubbing against freckled skin. Anna grinned and nodded, and as the music started she did her best to lead Elsa in a slow waltz.

Their eyes never left each other's, and even though it must have been an odd sight (because Elsa was wearing heels even taller than hers) the pair didn't care. Anna was trying to calm the other girl down, her touch gentle and her eyes reassuring. As they continued to dance Elsa relaxed, her eyes losing their glassy sheen. After their first twirl the smile came back to Elsa's face, eyes soft as she pressed herself as close to Anna as she could. Anna saw no issue with it; she nuzzled her cheek into the blonde's hair, reveling in its silky softness.

Eventually they lost beat of the waltz, opting to just gently sway back and forth.

Elsa was so close, so warm. Anna could practically feel the other girl's heartbeat, loud in her chest. Relieved that the other girl had calmed down, Anna tried to puzzle out what could have upset Elsa in the first place.

_What did I say? I was just talking about Rapunzel… she couldn't have been jealous, could she? No way, she's my cousin, and she's a sweetheart. So what was it?_

Anna continued to think, wracking her brain for what could have set Elsa off.

_And then I talked about her and my aunt, and how they practically… raised me..._

And suddenly Anna understood.

_Oh my God. She doesn't know about… oh, Elsa. She doesn't, she doesn't know about Mom and Dad. How have I never told her that before? I call her my friend, I was practically her roommate this weekend and yet I've never…_

_Come to think of it, what _have_ I told her? She knows about Hans, duh. And Meg too. Double duh. But does she even know who Kristoff is? Oh my God, she totally doesn't!_

_And she _knew_ that! She realized it the second I said something about my family! Oh jeez, this is awful. I know all this stuff about her, but she barely knows anything about me. That must be driving her nuts, and she felt so bad that she…_

_Wow… I guess we aren't the only ones who get frustrated, huh? It's gotta be awful for her… not being able to just say 'hey you've never mentioned this before, tell me more!' _

Anna stopped them just as the song ended. Elsa pulled back slightly, eyes now calm. Anna flushed when she realized that sometime during their dance her arms had wrapped themselves completely around the blonde's waist. She withdrew her arms with haste, one hand coming up to play with an auburn curl.

"Um… Elsa, this is going to sound weird but… I think I know what made you so sad just now." Elsa immediately tightened the grip she had on Anna's shoulders, holding the redhead in place for fear of her running away. But Anna had no such plans. "And I think… that I know how to fix it. Or, how to start, at least."

Elsa's brows shot up in surprise, and Anna forced her hands in between Elsa's arms, freeing her shoulders from their grasp but she intertwined their hands to keep the blonde close.

"Elsa… I want you to take me to your sister's room."

* * *

><p><strong>Too tired to be witty guys, sorry. But you're all awesome.<strong>

**-Cel**


	21. Chapter 21

When Elsa's entire body stiffened against her, Anna fought the immediate urge to take it back. Because they were so close, she could feel Elsa's heart rate begin to climb and she could see the fear start to swirl in the taller girl's eyes. Anna gulped, and she tried not to wince when Elsa's fingers tightened their grip, squeezing her hands painfully. Elsa's eyes were wide and her breath was coming out in short, rapid puffs, her chest heaving.

_Idiot, now look what you've done! Couldn't leave it alone, couldn't wait until after the party, could you? No, because you're impatient. You're always impatient. _

"Um, look I'm sorry. That was awkward, and… wow I just realized you probably have no idea how I know that. That was really personal and to just blurt it out like that I mean, gosh how insensitive am I? I'm sorry, I-I just… I mean-"

All of a sudden Elsa pulled away from her, hands yanking themselves free. Though Elsa kept her eyes on her it was clear that the blonde was looking not at Anna but straight through her, irises clouded and terrified. The sight of it scared Anna, right to her core. When the redhead reached out to comfort her Elsa flinched away, shoulders hunching as she wrapped her arms around herself, squeezing herself tight. Her eyes shot to the floor, wide and panicked.

Anna cleared her throat, taking a tentative step forward as she reached out a hand. "Elsa…" But Elsa jumped away again, and this time she didn't stop moving. Anna's eyes widened and she called out Elsa's name yet again but Elsa didn't stop. The blonde's head was down, her arms still wrapped tight around her torso but as she fled the room she somehow managed to weave her way through the crowd, blind to the curious glances thrown her way as people moved aside. Anna hurried after, but she didn't have the same luck.

She managed all of three hurried strides before her heels got the better of her and she tripped over the hem of her gown. There was a moment of terrifying free fall before she crashed to the floor, pain lacing through her hands and knees and shooting up her limbs as she yelped. The pain was immediately forgotten when she looked up and saw Elsa's blonde hair disappearing amongst the mass of black suits and flashy gowns, and in an instant Anna was scrambling to rise.

"Anna!" Turquoise eyes flashed up and Anna let out a relieved breath when she saw her cousin hurrying to her side. "What happened? Where's-"

"Not now Punz, just help me up!"

Rapunzel frowned but offered the redhead a hand and struggled to pull the girl to her feet. "Geez cuz, heavy, much?"

If Anna hadn't been so worried about Elsa she probably would have grinned and come up with a witty comeback, but as things stood she barely had the patience to groan and hiss out a 'whatever' before she was up and running again. She heard her cousin calling after her but ignored it. All that mattered to her at that moment was finding Elsa. But as Anna continued to push her way past people, standing on her tiptoes to see over their heads, an icy thickness began to settle in her chest, clawing its way around her ribs.

_Where is she, where is she… where is she?!_

As her eyes darted left and right, widening in panic as every moment passed by without Elsa in her line of sight, Anna's heart began to pound.

She'd screwed up. Elsa didn't even know that Anna knew. After all, Elsa hadn't been the one to tell her. Elsa hadn't told her anything, it had all been Mrs. Helland's doing. How could she have thought this had been a good idea? They'd barely been home for two days, and this was Anna's first time at the house, ever! What right did she have, asking Elsa to bring her to a place that was obviously still very painful for the poor blonde to even think about!

Anna's eyes screwed shut and she came to halt, hands clenching into fists at her side.

_I'm such an idiot…_

Tears began to prick at her eyes. She shook her head from side to side, fingernails digging into her palms as her fists clenched tighter. The people around her had turned to stare, eyes switching back and forth between the girl that stood before them now, close to tears, and the direction in which another young girl had run off only moments before. A few began to whisper amongst themselves, the words hidden behind gloved hands or whispered into glasses of wine.

Anna felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up, eyes watery, to see Rapunzel looking at her with concern. Green eyes cast a quick glance around the room, narrowing when their owner realized just how many people were staring. Biting her lip, Rapunzel turned her eyes back to her cousin and let her hand slide down to the small of the younger girl's back. Rapunzel pushed her forward gently, going slow in the hope that Anna would stay upright. "Come on Anna, let's go outside."

Anna sniffled but let herself be led, eyes downcast as her cousin marched her forward. Rapunzel obviously didn't know about the side door, because she led them to the opposite side of the ballroom, where a pair of insanely ornate doors awaited them. They were easily twice Anna's size but were thankfully pulled open, allowing guests to spill in and out as they pleased. No one noticed as the pair of girls slipped out of the party and into the foyer. Rapunzel kept Anna close as she looked around the room, frowning at the amount of people that were mulling about.

"Anna?" The brunette got a sniffle in response. "Hun, where are you staying? Is there a bedroom or somewhere we can go?"

Anna nodded after a moment, struggling to steady her breathing. Rapunzel waited, and when Anna was in control of herself again she held her head up high and hurried forward. She led them up the grand staircase and made a left, hurrying down the hall to the joined rooms she shared with Elsa.

She kept her eyes straight ahead, ignoring the beautiful paintings that lined the walls, ignoring the softness of the carpet beneath her. She ignored the pain in her feet, the slight ache lingering in her palms from when she'd fallen. Part of her hoped Elsa would be there, waiting for her. More of her was terrified that she would be. Anna stiffened when she passed by the door to Elsa's room, hesitating for a moment as she debated whether or not she should go in and check to see if Elsa was there. For that one moment she seriously thought about knocking…

…but she didn't. She hurried on to her own room instead.

She yanked open the door and almost slammed it behind her, the first tear carving a path down her cheek. Rapunzel's eyes narrowed and she jumped forward, catching the door just before it shut. "Anna, slow down. What's wrong?"

"I'm an _idiot, _Punz! That's what's wrong!"

Rapunzel rolled her eyes but shrieked when a white heel went flying past her head, rebounding against the wall with a smack. "Easy there fiestypants, pretty sure those aren't yours and… hey!"

Anna wasn't listening to her. She'd thrown the other shoe across the room as well and now she was splayed out on the bed, face buried in the sheets.

Rapunzel sighed and turned to pick up the fallen shoe, checking it for damage before going to get the other one. Once she was sure they hadn't been scratched she placed them neatly by the bedside and sat herself down on the edge of the bed. She heard her cousin sniffle once more, and when the brunette turned to look her heart clenched at the sight of Anna's shoulders shaking, her back rising as small hiccupping sobs wracked through her.

"You're going to get makeup on the sheets."

"I don't_ care_!"

Anna's hands balled into fists, creasing the fabric as she pressed her face deeper into the mattress. She continued to cry and Rapunzel bit her lip, eyes falling to her lap. She kicked off her own shoes and lay down beside the redhead, folding her arms to make a pillow so she could prop her head up. She watched Anna silently for a while, and when the redhead's sobs seemed to worsen she reached out a hand to comb through what she could of her cousin's hair. Rapunzel admired the elegant bun that held the rest of it captive, wondering who'd done it for her. Anna had never been good with hair or makeup, and unfortunately she had the kind of hair that demanded attention.

"Anna… can you tell me what happened? I can't help if I don't know anything."

Anna had always had a weakness for people playing with her hair, and so as Rapunzel continued to run her fingers through it, curling around the loose strands, her sobs quickly died down. Soon all that was left was a gentle hiccup every now and then. Anna loosened the grip she had on the sheets and she turned her head, so instead of suffocating herself against the down comforter her cheek just rested against it. Her eyes were puffy, and what little makeup she'd been wearing was in fact smeared everywhere. Including the sheets.

"You look like a raccoon."

Anna sniffed once. "Raccoons are cute."

Rapunzel smiled softly. "Not when they're crying."

Anna frowned, wiping a hand underneath her nose before she rolled over onto her back. "Well sorry. We can't all be pretty criers."

Rapunzel stayed where she was, keeping her eyes fixed firmly on her cousin's face. "So… why are you crying?"

Anna groaned, rubbing the heel of her hand against her eye, further smearing the black ring that had leaked out across her skin from the mascara. "I _told _you, I'm an idiot. That's why. Look just, forget about it. Go downstairs and enjoy the party. It's a long story, anyway."

Rapunzel smiled brightly. "I've got time."

"Since _when_?"

She froze. Where had that come from? Anna hadn't moved, but with the bite she'd put into her words she didn't have to. Rapunzel could picture the glare in her mind; she could practically feel Anna's eyes boring into her, harsh and accusing. "W-what do you mean?"

Now the glare was real. Anna had turned her head, and she was staring right at her. Her eyes were still wet, but they were angry too. Angry with herself for sure, but now that her cousin was right here in front of her, she had another outlet for her anger.

"Why now? Why do you all of a sudden have time _now? _Why now? Why didn't you have time on my first day of high school, when I spilled my lunch on one of the juniors and he said he was gonna beat me up? What about the next day when him and his friends, all sporting black eyes, cornered me in the locker room and threatened to make my life a living hell if I ever 'blabbed' to Hans again? Where were you when Hans lost the championship game? Where were you when he beat those kids up? When I only found out about it because the police showed up at the apartment?" Fresh tears were burning in her eyes, her breath beginning to hitch as everything began to catch up with her. "Where were you when he was institutionalized?"

Rapunzel's eyes were wide, her jaw slack. Anna had risen, sitting up and Rapunzel followed so that they were facing each other on the bed, legs folded underneath them. "A-Anna, I-I-"

"You _weren't_ there. For any of it! But now all of a sudden you have time? Why?! You haven't had time for me for two years! The second Eugene asked you to move in with him, you disappeared! I never saw you anymore! Sure, you stopped by maybe once every other _month_ to make sure I was alive, but how long did you even stay? Five minutes? Ten?"

"Anna, I'm sorry I just-"

Anna's eyes narrowed, tears spilling over. "You just _what_, Rapunzel? Just got sick of us? Got sick of always looking out for us? Well, sorry Hans and I couldn't work around your schedule. I'm sorry that Uncle and Auntie always made you stay home to keep us company, I'm sorry that you didn't get to go out as much as you wanted. I know we were awkward and sad and I know we couldn't have been much fun to be around but… but we tried! We tried really hard! I know I did!" Anna began to hiccup again, pressing her face into her hands.

Rapunzel's own eyes began to prick with tears, and she reached out to pull her cousin into a hug but Anna only flinched away, laying back down and curling up into a ball with her back to her cousin. The brunette's heart broke at the sight, all too familiar with Anna's self-defense mechanism.

When they were younger, back when Hans and Anna had lived with Rapunzel and her family, there were times when all the pain, sadness, and the memory of her parents became too much for the young girl and Anna's laughter would disappear from the house. After checking all of the little firecracker's usual spots, Rapunzel would always find her in her room, curled up in a ball just like this, hiding under a blanket as she cried herself to sleep. Usually, if Rapunzel caught her in time, she'd be able to coax her out with chocolate and the promise of a bedtime story.

But right now the brunette got the feeling that that wouldn't be enough.

"Anna… I, I don't know what to say."

Anna's body shuddered, and Rapunzel's hands fisted in her lap.

"There's nothing you can say. I get it. Growing up and having to take care of us probably sucked. I would have hated it too. B-but, but you can't just… show up and act like you haven't been ignoring us for the past two years."

"But I haven't been! I love coming to see you guys!"

Anna curled in even tighter on herself, if such a thing were possible. "Of course you do, because we don't want to make you sad. We're always on our best behavior when you come to visit. Punz, you didn't even text me back when I told you I was going to be gone this weekend. I wasn't even going to bother, but Kristoff made me."

The admission made Rapunzel incredibly sad… and guilty. Anna was right. Why it had come out now, when she was clearly upset about something else, was beyond her. But it was still true, nonetheless.

Anna let out a pathetic, half-hearted chuckle. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go all family drama on you." There was a quiet sniffle. "Just go back downstairs. I'll be fine. I'm not even mad at you, really… you're like my best friend and I'm actually really happy I saw you tonight. I-I'm just confused I guess. A lot's been going on."

"Anna... I can't just go back downstairs." Rapunzel frowned and laid down, pressing herself against Anna's back and wrapping her arms around the smaller girl. "We need to talk about this. You're right, I haven't been good to you or your brother at all. Not for a long time. You know me, I just… I get so distracted so easily and Eugene's been so wonderful… but I swear Anna, I'll be better. And I'm gonna start right now, okay?" She pressed a quick kiss to the redhead's temple. "Please, tell me what's been going on. Tell me everything."

Anna was silent for a moment and Rapunzel feared the worst, that Anna would shut her out and ask her to leave. She knew she had a lot to make up for, two years' worth of blissful ignorance to the struggles her cousins had clearly been going through, but what if this was too little too late? Anna had always been stubborn, after all. Rapunzel had seen what happened once a person fell out of Anna's good graces.

But her fears were eased when Anna rolled back over and forced her head beneath the brunette's chin, body trembling as tears began anew.

"I-I met Elsa two months ago…"

And Anna told her everything. About Elsa, about how wrongly she'd judged her when they'd first become friends. She told her the good things, like the truffles and the snowflakes and the hugs… and she told her about the bad things. The fight, the bullies at school… Rapunzel was shocked and saddened to hear about Hans losing his visitation rights. Anna told her about Kristoff and Meg, and Rapunzel was happy to hear that her darling little cousin was making new friends. She'd have to meet this Meg girl and thank Kristoff for being such a sweetheart, and for taking care of Anna.

Anna told her about the Hellands, about Elsa's condition. She talked about Elsa for a long time. She told her all about how Elsa was supposed to be this cold, unresponsive statue but then she gushed over how attentive and sweet Elsa was to her. Anna gave her the most random details, from the way Elsa would scrunch her shoulders up to her ears when she was nervous, to the way her smile would quirk to the side when she was happy. She talked about the way Elsa had behaved so far this weekend, and how confused she was because it was almost a 180 compared to the way she behaved at the institute, and finally she made it to what had happened earlier that night.

It was a lot of information, and when Anna told her about Elsa's past Rapunzel couldn't help but feel that maybe she shouldn't be privy to this information. But she didn't want to tell Anna to stop; the redhead had a habit of bottling things up and letting things slide, even if they upset her. Better to just give her the chance to let it all out and deal with the aftermath later.

"A-and I think I went too far because she ran away and I don't know if she's mad at me or scared… what if she starts to ignore me like she does everyone else? What if she shuts me out?"

Rapunzel shushed her gently, rubbing soothing circles against the younger girl's back. "If she cares about you as much as I think she does, there's no way. She was probably just shocked… and when you think about what you asked it's not really a surprise that she got upset. Just give her time."

"B-but… what if she, what if… Rapunzel, I-I don't want her to shut me out."

"She won't, I'm positive."

Anna was silent, one hand gripping the fabric of Rapunzel's dress. The pair sat cuddled together for a few more minutes, until Anna pulled away. She sat up and rubbed at her eyes. Her raccoon eyes were even larger than before, and decidedly more lopsided. "I didn't get make-up on your dress, did I?"

Rapunzel looked down and winced at the black smears on her front. "Um…"

"Ugh, I totally did. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

Rapunzel just sighed, her eyes kind and affectionate as she rose from the bed. "Don't worry, I can fix it. I've done enough laundry in my life to have learned some tricks. Come on, I'll help you get ready for bed, fix this and then head back downstairs. Dad's probably wondering where I am."

"Yeah, sorry again. This wasn't how I expected this night to go."

"Stop apologizing. It's fine. Now let's get you out of that dress. I know you're probably dying to be in sweatpants again."

Anna gave a weary grin before nodding, heading over to her bed to grab her duffle bag off the floor. She pulled out some sweatpants and an old camo-print tank top and threw them on the bed.

"You need help getting out of that dress?" Rapunzel called as she headed into the bathroom.

"I'm not _that_ hopeless, Punz."

Rapunzel just grinned and flipped the light switch in the bathroom. When she saw her reflection in the mirror she winced at the sight of the splash zone; it was definitely larger under the light. She blew away a few stray hairs that had fallen in her face before ducking to look in the cabinet under the sink for anything that would remove makeup. Her eyes lit up when she found a bottle of liquid eye-makeup remover and she grabbed it. "Anna where are the linens?"

"Shh! Not so loud!" Rapunzel, confused, turned to ask what the fuss was all about but Anna cut her off. "They're over there. And again, I'm-"

"If you're going to apologize again then stop. It's annoying."

Anna's face fell and she ran a hand through her hair, which she had freed from its intricate up-do. It fell in gentle ringlets around her face, though some pieces stuck out at odd angles. Rapunzel ignored her as she dripped some makeup remover onto the washcloth she had grabbed, moving to stand before the mirror once again. Thankfully the Hellands had a collection of linens in their closet, black included among the colors, so Rapunzel didn't have to worry about staining the cloth. She gently dabbed at the mascara, grinning when it began to come off. Anna came to stand by her side, posture meek as she watched her cousin fix the mess.

It took a few minutes, but finally the stain was gone and Rapunzel let out a triumphant 'Ha!' to which Anna let out a sigh of relief. Rapunzel turned on the cold water and ran the washcloth under the stream, wringing it out while Anna watched.

The redhead bit her lip, nervously bumping her fists together as her eyes darted between the washcloth and her cousin. "Um, Rapunzel? I-I didn't, I wasn't trying to, y'know… make you feel guilty or anything back there. Honestly I don't know where it all came from."

Rapunzel didn't answer, just shook the excess water from the cloth before applying the slightest dabs of makeup remover to it. "Don't worry about it. I think I deserved it. Now here, let me clean you up."

Grinning shyly, Anna stepped forward, closing her eyes when Rapunzel raised the cloth to her face. The cool water felt good against her skin, especially around her eyes which were still slightly puffy from crying. As her cousin went about her work Anna sighed in contentment. She had missed her cousin, truly, and it felt good to be taken care of in such a tender manner. "Rapunzel?"

"Hm?"

"…I missed you."

Rapunzel paused, a soft smile spreading across her face as her cheeks grew warmed. She dropped the washcloth onto the counter top and pulled her cousin into a hug. "Me too, fiestypants. Me too."

* * *

><p>Elsa stood before the door, arms limp as her eyes burned holes in the brass doorknob.<p>

She'd been standing there, tears perched and ready to spill, for far too long. At least she'd stopped pacing. Her feet were practically numb from the abuse they'd suffered as Elsa's anxiety had forced her in circles, pacing back and forth before the door.

The door to her sister's room.

Her sister.

_My sister._

Elsa's breathing hitched, body convulsing as she clutched her hands tight to her chest. She couldn't do this. She couldn't be here. Even after all these years, even after all the home visits she spent with her eyes fixed firmly on the carpet as she hurried past this one room… she still felt like falling to pieces.

_It's your fault, after all. I suppose it makes sense. _

Elsa shivered, hands clenching so tight she could feel the sharp prick of her nails biting into her skin. The memories still hurt, still made her heart ache. She'd tried so hard to forget, to convince herself that it wasn't her fault. Every night she'd spent in her bed here at home was bittersweet: it was warm, it was secure, it was soft… but the memory of what lay next door plagued her dreams every night. There were ghosts in these halls, and they whispered to her whenever she dared to walk down them alone. They crept along her spine, moaned their secrets into her ears even when she clamped her hands over them in a futile attempt to block out the sounds.

'_Your fault,' _they whispered. _'Such a disappointment… such a sad thing. Such a sad little girl… her and her sad little family.'_

'_Maybe if you hadn't wished so hard, prayed so foolishly… don't you know that good things come to those who wait? Why didn't you wait? Did you think you were special? Did you actually think there was someone listening?'_

'_Such a sad little girl. Such a sad little family.'_

Even now they whispered to her, giggling in her ears as their chill sent shivers down her spine. Elsa bit her lip and screwed her eyes shut, clamping her hands over her ears.

_Don't listen! Don't… just don't listen. They're not real, they aren't here. Conceal it. Don't feel it. Think happy things, think warm things…_

But of course the moment she thought 'warm,' she thought of Anna, and that doomed her.

Anna had known. How had Anna known? How was it possible?

'_Oh, sad little girl… does it matter?' _

Her teeth dug into her lip, painfully so. Her nails scraped against her skull as she tried to force her hands even tighter over her ears, desperate to block out the noise. They couldn't talk about Anna, they couldn't. Elsa wouldn't hear it, wouldn't allow it.

'_She knows… so what else does she know? Does she know about your perversions? Does she know what you really feel? Oh, poor little girl… what will she do when she leaves you?'_

Her eyes snapped open, arms going limp.

_Leaves me? Why, why would she…_

Harsh chuckles rang in her ears and she winced, knees going weak. She stumbled, falling against the door. She flinched when her hands made contact with the wood, but she didn't have the strength to push herself away.

'_Why would she leave you, you ask? Oh, sad little girl… what reason does she have to stay? You've proven tonight how inept you are… you barely know anything about her. You've been leeching off her warmth for months and yet all you know is her name…'_

'_Her name and all the dirty things you'd do to her… if given the chance.'_

Her nails scraped against the wood as her hands clenched into fists, her teeth bared in a grimace.

_No! That's not all I am! I'm not just… that's not what I want!_

The voices chuckles darkly. '_Isn't it though? Isn't that all you've been dreaming about? Tasting those lips, marking that flawless skin? Claiming it as your own?'_

She pressed her forehead against the door, legs trembling as her body began to warm against her will. She tried to force it down, tried to focus on anything but the girl who had indeed been plaguing her mind for so long now. But it was futile. She kept picturing Anna in her dress, in _both_ dresses. She kept seeing that bright, smiling face, those warm, kind eyes…

As the first tears began to fall, Elsa whimpered. She choked out a sob, her throat crying out in protest. The sound was slight, but it was there. Elsa was unaware of it all, so desperate was she to control her thoughts.

'_What's the point, sad little girl? You know you want her…'_

_Of course I do! But, but I don't just want her, I-I need, I need_ _her! I need her smile, her smell, her laugh… I need all of her! And I want her to need me! I don't want to be a… a parasite!_

'_But isn't that what you are? Silly little girl… that's _all_ you are. A parasite, a nuisance. Do you think your darling little Anna actually _wants_ to spend any more time at that dreadful place than she has to? Do you actually think your parents are content with the way things are? Do you even care?'_

'_No. You don't. It's against the nature of a parasite to care about its host, after all. So long as they get what they need-'_

Without a warning, Elsa gripped the doorknob and flung the door wide open, running inside and slamming it shut behind her. She fell against it with an audible thud, sliding down to the floor as tears streamed down both her cheeks.

She couldn't bear to hear anymore. She had to escape the whispers, even if that escape had led her _here. _Through the tears she could see the paint her and her father had worked so hard to apply (the snowmen had been her idea), could see the rocking chair her mother had sat in as she watched over them. And in the center of the room she saw the pile of books, and the blanket.

And in her memories she saw herself, the blanket wrapped around her shivering shoulders as she read aloud to the little sister she'd wished so desperately for. She could practically hear her squeaky little voice, sounding out the lines to her favorite nursery rhymes as she tried to be strong and keep from crying. Even if her little sister was in Heaven, so far away, it wouldn't do for her to mess up the words because the tears made it hard to talk. She had to get it right, had to say the words as clearly as possible so her sister could hear them.

_But I never could. I always messed up._

Elsa drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself and hiding her face as she cried. There was no noise this time, her throat still aching from before, but her entire frame shook with each sob.

…it was a long time before she finally stopped crying. The moon, which had previously been invisible, now shined full and bright in the window, bathing the room in soft light. Everything hurt. Her eyes, her throat, her back. Sniffling, she cast one last look around the room. It was cold and empty, rife with dust. Elsa would bet that her parents didn't even come in here anymore.

Not that she could blame them.

Elsa looked down at her feet and removed her shoes. She rubbed her feet gently, trying to will life back into them. After a while she tried to stand, stumbling slightly as pins and needles raced through her limbs. She hesitated before opening the door, terrified that the voices would be waiting for her on the other side.

But she couldn't stay in that room forever.

So, with a deep breath in, she shut her eyes and pushed the door open. She waited for the voices to come and fill her head with their harsh, cruel words, but there was only silence. Elsa opened her eyes slowly, glancing up and down the empty hall in disbelief. When a minute passed with no disturbance, the blonde sighed in relief. She turned back around to pick up her shoes before she began to pad down the hallway. Her feet hurt with each step, but her crying spell had left her too tired to worry about the pain. As she descended the stairs to the second floor, she caught the sounds of the party, still in full swing. Briefly she wondered if anyone was looking for her.

She thought about Anna.

_Anna… I'm sorry for running away. Not that you can hear me._

Elsa's bare toes hit the second floor and she took a moment to remember the look of panic that had flashed through Anna's eyes when Elsa had pulled away. It hurt her to remember, to know that she had been the cause, but it had been too much too soon. She hadn't even known that Anna was aware of her past… though she supposed she shouldn't have been surprised.

Anna had been alone with Elsa's mother quite a few times already. This whole weekend had been her mother's doing. Her parents were charming and caring, but they were cunning as well. Maybe there were ulterior motives to their kindness.

Elsa frowned. She wasn't sure how to feel about all that, and certainly didn't have the energy to properly process.

So she continued on down the hall to her room, part of her hoping that Anna would be waiting for her with open arms when she returned.

It was wishful thinking of course, because when she finally did make it to her room it was dark and empty. The blonde sighed, not bothering to turn on the light as she placed her shoes down by the vanity and stripped out of her gown. She held it in her hands for a moment before sighing and draping it over the back of the chair. She retrieved a simple blue nightgown from her closet and slipped it over her head. She took a moment in the bathroom to wash the smeared makeup from her face, eyes widening in surprise when she saw how pale and tired her episode had left her. Frowning at her reflection, she cast a quick glance at Anna's door to check to see if the light was on. It wasn't, but she did see something that caught her eye.

There was a piece of paper taped to the door of Anna's bedroom.

Brow furrowing, Elsa cautiously crossed the bathroom, feet padding soundlessly across the floor. When she reached Anna's door a shaky hand came up and pulled the note away. Blue eyes narrowed at the neat script that filled the page.

'_Miss Helland,_

_Anna's asleep. I took care of her. This is her cousin Rapunzel that you met at the party earlier. I wanted to say thank you to your family, and I also wanted to apologize if she made you in any way uncomfortable tonight. Anna isn't famous for her patience, but she's a sweetheart, as I'm sure you already know. _

_I figured you'd want your privacy, so I'll be telling your parents that you both retired for the evening, that way you won't have to worry about being bothered for the rest of the night._

_Thank you again,_

_-Rapunzel_

_P.S. My cousin really cares about you.'_

Elsa blinked down at the page, surprised. The sound of fabric rustling caused her ears to perk and she looked up. So Anna was asleep on the other side of this door.

Elsa was silent for a moment, before she turned the doorknob and stepped into the bedroom. It was dark, the curtains only partially open. Still, some moonlight managed to spill its way in, illuminating the sleeping figure curled up in a ball on the bed. Elsa closed the bathroom door behind her, stepping into the room and moving to stand at the redhead's bedside. She stared down at Anna's peaceful face, taking note of the redness around the younger girl's eyes.

_She was crying._

Still clutching the note in her hand, Elsa sat herself down on the edge of the bed. She watched the steady rise and fall of Anna's chest. Suddenly Anna rolled over onto her back, a light snore escaping her as she blindly clutched at a pillow. Slowly, Elsa reached out a hand, hesitating before laying it down where Anna's heart was. The contact caused the redhead to mumble in her sleep and Elsa sent a nervous glance at her face, but when there was no discernible change Elsa let her eyes fall shut. She breathed in deeply, focusing on the steady beat of Anna's heart.

Slowly, the rhythm calmed her. Elsa's own heart relaxed, and the weariness in her chest started to seep away.

"Elsa…"

Elsa's eyes snapped open. Had she woken the other girl up?

Another snore told her otherwise. A tired, lopsided smile pulled at her lips as she stared at the face of the sleeping girl before her. Elsa pulled back her hand only to place it by Anna's head. Slowly Elsa leaned forward, so that they were face to face, Elsa's body partially hovering over the sleeping redhead's. Elsa took a moment to admire the beauty of the girl beneath her, but then the words of the voices from before returned to her.

'_perversions… parasite…'_

'_you want her…'_

It would be easy. It would be laughably easy, to just take what she wanted right here and now and be done with it. Elsa tilted her head to the side.

Slowly, she began to lean in. Their faces came closer and closer together, until Elsa could feel Anna's breath tickling her skin. Anna's scent filled her nose, all chocolate and earthy, comfortable warmth, like the grass on a bright summer day.

So close. The blonde grinned.

And pressed her lips to Anna's forehead.

_I do want her._

_But I also love her._

_And love is more than just desire._

She lingered for a moment, enjoying the warmth of Anna's skin on her lips, before she pulled back. She smiled down at the girl she loved, eyes bright with tender affection. She gently brushed her thumb against Anna's cheek, tucking away some stray hairs before standing up.

Glancing down at the note in her hand, she sent Anna one last lingering gaze before heading back to her own bedroom.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm pretty happy with this one, guys. I hope you are too :)<strong>

**I can't even begin to thank you all for your love, writing this is truly an amazing experience.**

**-Cel**


	22. Chapter 22

Surprisingly, Anna was up at a decent hour. Maybe it was the fact that once Rapunzel had left she'd fallen straight to sleep, exhausted from her sob fest, or maybe it was the down comforter and incredibly soft linens she'd cocooned herself in.

Or, maybe it was the sunlight burning right through the thin curtains and into her eyes.

She'd tried in vain to ignore the offending light and burrow herself under the sheets, but once she was up memories from last night began to resurface and soon she found that there was no conceivable way she'd be falling back asleep. So with a most unfeminine groan, the redhead flopped onto her back and sat up, eyes bleary.

"Ugh… morning," a huge yawn erupted from within her. "My old nemesis."

She fell back against the bed with a huff, eyes trained on the ceiling. She was silent for a moment, eyes darting this way and that.

_Today's gonna be an emotional one, isn't it?_

She thought about Elsa, remembered the terror in the poor blonde's eyes as she'd fled the ballroom. She thought about Rapunzel, and about how Anna had snapped at her out of nowhere.

Anna pursed her lips, eyebrows coming together.

_But was it out of nowhere?_

Everything she'd said last night had been true. Anna and her brother had barely heard from Rapunzel over the last two years, only getting the obligatory 'Happy Birthday,' or 'Happy Holidays,' text and an occasional half-hour visit from the bubbly brunette and her boyfriend. Her cousin hadn't even bothered coming home for the holidays, her excuse being that she didn't want Eugene to be alone because he didn't have a family of his own. When her father tried to explain that Eugene was welcome at their home anytime the brunette would just dodge the bullet and make up something about not wanting to impose. It made absolutely no sense, considering she was his daughter, but somehow the issue always got dropped.

Anna loved them both, really she did, especially Eugene. Eugene was the only boy she'd ever seen trump her brother at Call of Duty, and Hans had quite literally pouted for a solid ten minutes before the pair switched over to multi-player, or co-op, or whatever the heck that version was. Still, it was hard to act like everything was alright between them all when all Anna really wanted to do was drag Rapunzel to her room and have herself a good girl cry.

Anna knew she was young, she knew she was a klutz. She tried to make up for that with smiles and warm hugs but deep down she knew it wasn't always enough.

If it was, Hans would have never gone to the institute in the first place.

It wasn't that she hated her situation, not at all. Anna didn't mind taking care of people. She enjoyed it, actually. It was easy to ignore her own problems if she was too busy making other people smile. But it was hard, especially after doing it for so long when there was no real proof of progress in sight. After all, she'd been visiting Hans for months, always making him laugh and smile, trying to help him forget about what happened... and that hadn't helped at all.

It wasn't just Hans though; life had been riding her hard in all aspects for quite a while.

If high school was hard with friends, it was almost impossible to survive alone. The first few months of freshmen year were the worst. Sure she had Hans but he was protective enough without her complaining about classes or irritating cheerleaders with their high-pitched squealing. It would have been a lot easier for Anna to adjust if she'd had her confident, charming older cousin to help teach her which girls meant well and which were rotten. Unfortunately for Anna, who tended to look for the best in people, the rotten ones could smile just as bright and sound just as sweet as all the nice ones.

Which led to Anna having her faith in people shaken on more than one occasion.

For some reason which Anna would never understand, the cheerleaders loved her brother but _hated_ her. Maybe it was because they were jealous of how naturally pretty Anna was, or maybe it was the fact that, despite all their efforts, the school's all-star quarterback would never pay them the same attention he paid his little sister. Maybe it was the way they all ceased to exist in his eyes the moment Anna showed up.

Whatever the reason, it made Anna's high school life quite difficult. All the enthusiastic redhead had wanted to do was make friends and spread her wings. She'd been oblivious to the dirty looks and devious smiles, blind to the fact that the kind words and girlish giggles she considered herself lucky to share with the dazzling upperclassmen turned vicious and accusing the moment she turned her back.

It wasn't until she met Kristoff that she'd realized.

Anna grinned as she remembered the day.

She'd had gym class last and as usual was taking forever in the shower because, duh, showers were awesome. She shared that class with a few junior varsity cheerleaders, a trio of girls who would become the bane of Anna's existence as she got older. There was Ariel, the ditzy fake redhead who apparently got a kick out of telling people that it was _Anna's _hair that wasn't natural. Ariel was the easiest to deal with; she was a swimmer on top of cheer leading and wasn't necessarily a bad person, just air-headed and desperate for attention. Then there was Snow, the snob who came from a real proper family, the kind that said grace before every single meal and would take dessert privileges away if there was even a spot of dirt on your clothes. She was particularly annoying, always looking down her nose at people while she cycled through boyfriends, dumping each one when they failed to meet her expectations for one ridiculous reason or another.

The worst though, was Vanessa. Vanessa was like Ariel's evil twin, and she was an absolute witch.

She was the one girl in school Anna truly, truly couldn't stand.

Vanessa had an older sister, Ursula, who was in the same year as Hans. Ursula wasn't exactly the most popular girl in school; she was overweight and not overly sociable. She preferred the science labs to the school dances, and tried to hide her shyness and insecurity behind a cold shoulder and harsh tongue.

The reason Anna couldn't stand Vanessa was the fact that the bitchy brunette acted like her sister didn't exist. Ursula drove her to school every morning but Vanessa demanded that her sister park far away from any of the school's entrances, giving the younger of the two enough time to slip out of the car and sprint towards the nearest group of cheerleaders. Then they'd all walk into school together laughing, leaving Ursula to walk alone.

Vanessa was fake and rude and just downright nasty.

Anyway, one day these three thought that it'd be funny to steal Anna's clothes, leaving her stranded nude in the showers. They even took her towel, so when she'd finally found the strength of will to leave the warm stream of water she was shocked and embarrassed to see it was all in vain. There were still people mulling about in the locker room, but she was too embarrassed to call for help.

It wasn't until much later, when everyone had finally cleared out, that the sound of things being knocked over and muffled curses filled the bathroom.

It had been fifteen year old Kristoff, gangly and awkward, holding her stolen clothes. He called into the locker room, asking if anyone was still there, and when Anna called back he was relieved. He left the towel and clothes on the bench, leaving her to get dressed and when Anna emerged from the locker room she couldn't help but laugh at the blush that coated the blonde boy's cheeks.

He told her that he saw the three cheerleaders with her clothes, and that he knew right away what was going on. It made him angry and didn't want them getting away with it, so he followed them. He watched them hide her stuff behind the bleachers and waited until they left the gym before grabbing them and heading into the locker room to find out who they belonged to. When he was done explaining himself Anna had raised a brow and asked him if he made it a habit of going into the girl's locker room. The sputtering refusal that came forth as her answer made her laugh and in no time at all she was over her embarrassment.

They'd been inseparable ever since, especially after the trashy trio found out what he did and made Kristoff the laughing stock of their gym class. Thank god Kristoff had been raised in a big family with plenty of pushy brothers and cousins to wrestle with and show him how to shake off the jibes his classmates threw his way, otherwise he would have never been able to handle the other boys poking fun at him for going into the girl's locker room. He was the perfect companion for Anna, who up until their friendship was content to ignore the bullying.

"Yeah, well… thank God I got over that phase." With a groan Anna pushed herself back up and freed herself from the cocoon of linens, placing her feet on the carpeted floor and stretching. "Otherwise I'd still be trying to convince myself that Snow was just socially inept, and not totally rude."

She stood, wincing as her muscles stretched and adjusted to the fact that she was being active this early in the morning. She yawned again, not bothering to cover her mouth.

_Oh well. We've gotten along just fine on our own, we don't need anybody else. I can't expect Rapunzel to hold my hand forever, I'm a big girl now. Sure, it would have been nice to have someone around when Hans was institutionalized, but hey. Them's the breaks. I'm just glad she wasn't too upset… and I'm _extremely _glad I didn't stain that dress. _

"That would have been a nightmare…" Anna rolled her shoulders and headed into the bathroom, rubbing at her neck as she sighed. "Uncle would have chewed me out for sure. That thing probably wasn't cheap."

She hesitated before opening the bathroom door, listening for sounds of movement and pushing onward when she heard none. She couldn't help the relief that flooded through her when she saw that the bathroom was in fact empty. It was too early in the morning for her to face Elsa.

_Elsa…_

Anna winced. She was in no way prepared for Elsa today, she had no idea how the older girl was going treat her. Would she be mad? Would she be upset? Would she even bother leaving her room? What if Anna's carelessness had sparked a bout of depression... what if she'd done some kind of permanent emotional damage?

The redhead groaned, turning on the cold water and cupping her hands beneath the stream. When her hands were full she splashed the water against her face, gasping from the shock of the cold. She did it a few more times, praying the icy chill would wake her up and somehow magically gift her with the confidence to face the day with a smile. She was so focused on waking herself that she didn't notice the door on the opposite side of the bathroom open.

Elsa stepped in. There were dark circles under her eyes, her hair a mess. She raised a hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn, but when she saw Anna furiously scrubbing her face at the sink she paused. She brought her hand to her chest, the other clenching into a fist at her side. The blonde bit her lip and she lingered in the doorway, eyes filled with uncertainty. But when Anna shut the water off and began to grope around for a towel, Elsa's brow furrowed.

After a full minute of blind patting the counter top, Anna's face scrunched up and she muttered under her breath. "Crap, forgot to get a towel." Anna absolutely _hated_ getting water in her eyes, and she could feel it hanging heavily on her eyelashes. With a resigned sigh she raised her wet hands to her face and tried to rub away the water, succeeding only in spreading it around."Why do I never think these things through? Any normal person would have grabbed a towel and-"

There was a gentle tap on at her shoulder.

"_AHHHHH!"_

Anna flinched away, hands covering her eyes as she screamed and scrambled away from the unexpected touch. She rubbed furiously at her eyes, one flying open to locate her assailant.

When she saw Elsa staring at her with wide, terrified eyes, a hand towel clutched in one hand, she immediately felt like the worst person in the world.

"Oh my God Elsa, I'm so sorry! I-I had no idea you were even awake and, oh my God I'm so sorry I-I didn't mean to yell at you! You just surprised me and…" she trailed off, cheeks burning. This was awful. She had already been worried about scaring Elsa away last night, and now with a good morning like _that_ the probability of there being awkward tension had instantly doubled. She reached up to run her free hand through her hair, the heel of the other still trying to get rid of the excess water lingering around her eye.

So when Elsa just calmly extended the towel towards her Anna was surprised. She was still for a moment, eyes darting between the towel and Elsa's face, but when Elsa cheeks flushed and dropped her eyes to the floor Anna practically lunged for the towel. She sent the blonde a grateful glance and immediately began wiping the water away from her face.

"U-um, thanks Elsa. I really hate getting water in my eyes so… um, yeah. I guess I looked pretty stupid, huh? Reaching for a towel that wasn't even there..." She chuckled nervously, eyes focusing on anything that wasn't Elsa.

Said blonde just cocked her head, eyes unreadable. After a moment she turned to the mirror, frowning at her reflection. She let out a puff of breath, a few stray hairs getting caught in the blast and lifting off her forehead for a moment before settling back down in exactly the same position. Anna found the courage to look up just in time to see Elsa raise a hand to her cheeks, fingers brushing against the dark circles under the blonde's eyes.

Anna's brow furrowed and the words came out before she was even conscious of them. "Did you not sleep well?"

Elsa jumped, eyes widening. Anna watched as bright blue irises clouded over with sadness and she immediately smacked a hand over her mouth.

_Of course she didn't sleep well, you idiot. And whose fault is that?_

Anna sighed and more words came tumbling forth gracelessly from between her lips. "Um, Elsa… look. About last night… I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't have, I didn't mean to… y'know. Freak you out or anything. I just, thought maybe it would be good for you to, I don't know… face your fears? I mean, I'm not a psychologist or anything and I know that's probably really wrong and really stupid but I-I figured since we were here and all and I didn't know when I was gonna get to come here again, that is if I ever actually got invited back! I mean, at that point I was still convinced I was going to screw up and embarrass myself in front of your parents. They probably wouldn't have wanted me back then... not that your parents aren't totally amazing or anything, because they are! This whole weekend's been amazing! Well, up until last night at least… I really didn't want to make you sad or anything. The last thing I wanted to do was make you sad… and then of course I got sad because I knew I screwed up and…"

She trailed off, eyes screwing shut as she clenched her jaw.

_Rambling, Anna. Rambling rambling rambling…_

There was silence in the bathroom for a moment and Anna shrank in on herself. She crossed her arms and tucked her chin towards her chest. It was awkward, just as she'd feared. She could sense the tension in Elsa's shoulders.

When she heard the sound of air passing though Elsa's nostrils in a soft exhale she chanced a glance upwards.

Elsa had turned away from the mirror and was smiling down at her, but it was tight and pained. Her hands were folded before her, much like they had been last night when she was standing beside her mother. Her eyes were still sad, and the lack of sleep was apparent in the grey tones of her normally beautiful complexion. Anna's heart sank at the sight and she raised a hand, aiming to lay it comfortingly on the taller girl's arm.

But she hesitated.

Did Elsa even want to be touched? She could have been furious for all Anna knew, could have been a moment away from bursting into tears.

Her hesitation didn't go unnoticed. Elsa's eyes flicked to Anna's outstretched hand and her hands squeezed together painfully, knuckles turning white as she fought to remain still. When Anna pulled back her hand and held it above her heart, fingers curling into a fist, Elsa's entire body seemed to tighten, to stiffen up as she watched silently.

"Um… so, I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry." The redhead took in a deep breath and raised her chin. She looked Elsa straight in the eye, heart clenching uncomfortably in her chest at the look in the blonde's eyes. "I should never have pushed you, especially at the dance. I kinda ruined it for both of us…"

Elsa cocked a brow and Anna averted her eyes, rocking back onto her heels as the heat in her cheeks spread to her ears.

"Well, you see when you ran out of there I tried to follow, you run really fast by the way, did you know that? And in heels too… maybe you could give me lessons. I only made it all of three feet before I got real familiar with the floor. And then Rapunzel came and helped me up and I started crying because I realized how bad I screwed up, and then out of nowhere I was just yelling at her. Random yeah, I know! I think I was just emotional and it came out in a weird way. But we're cool!" she exclaimed when she saw the concerned look on Elsa's face. "In fact, we ended on a good note. I promise!"

Elsa regarded her silently for a moment before turning back to the mirror. She wet her hands at the sink and ran them through her hair, making sure to catch all of the flyaways and comb them back. Anna watched, entranced.

Truth be told she'd always loved Elsa's hair, it was so thick and it looked so soft. She had no problem admitting that she daydreamed about touching it, but come on. Who wouldn't? Other women would _kill_ for that hair.

Elsa must have noticed her staring because she stopped, one hand still tangled in her hair as she stared shyly at Anna from the corner of her eye.

Giggling, Anna shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry. Your hair's just amazing." Elsa blinked at her in surprise, so Anna elaborated. "I mean, it's just really pretty and long, you should wear it down more often! Even though I do think your braid is really cute too…"

_Oh Anna why did you say that you are a fool you are a reckless little freckled fool…_

Both girls looked away at the exact same moment, pink coloring both their cheeks. There was a moment of awkward silence before Anna saw Elsa's shoulders rise with a great intake of breath. The blonde ran her hands through her hair one last time before turning to Anna with a shy smile. She stepped around Anna to the door leading to her bedroom and pulled it open. She looked over her shoulder and nodded her head towards the bedroom before stepping inside, leaving the bathroom door wide open.

Anna cast a quick glance at her own hair and frowned at the tangled mess she saw. Instead of wetting her hands at the sink like a civilized person however, she just swiped her tongue down the length of her palm and slicked her bangs back. When a few strands rebounded immediately she shrugged helplessly at her reflection and walked into Elsa's room.

The blonde was seated at her vanity, toying with the ends of a few blond tresses with one hand. In the other she held a hairbrush. When she saw Anna approaching in the mirror's reflection she half-turned and offered the brush to the blushing redhead. Anna took it without hesitation, but she turned it over in her hands a few times before meeting Elsa's eyes.

"Really?"

Her voice was so soft, so unsure, and Elsa's eyes softened at the sound of it. Her face seemed to relax and she nodded once, the corner of her mouth twitching up in a lopsided smile. She turned back around and folded her hands in her lap. Her eyes slid shut and she waited.

_Wow... _Anna thought. _She... she still trusts me. There's no way she'd let me brush her hair if she was mad at me, right? _

Anna watched Elsa's face closely in the mirror, stepping up behind the blonde as she gripped the brush in her right hand. Elsa's shoulders were relaxed now, not quite so stiff. Her breathing was steady, her aura calm. Anna gulped, nervous out of nowhere, and reached out an unsure hand. Her fingers twitched ever so slightly at first contact with Elsa's hair and her eyes flicked up to gauge Elsa's reaction, but the older girl's face remained unchanged. So Anna pressed on, and threaded her fingers through the soft blonde locks.

"Oh wow…"

It was softer than she'd imagined. Cool to the touch, it felt like magic in her hands. She almost didn't want to use the brush; she would have been quite happy to use her fingers to comb out Elsa's gorgeous hair.

_But that would be weird. That would be _very_ weird, Christian._

So she pushed the urge away and raised the brush. "Let me know if I tug too hard, okay?"

Elsa nodded, eyes still closed, and Anna smiled fondly before setting to work. Despite the volume Elsa's hair had attained during the night, it wasn't really all that tangled. It was easy to brush, and Anna was met only with a few stubborn knots she worked very carefully to untangle without doing harm to the blonde who was sitting so very still for her. She worked diligently, making sure to brush out everything that could have been hiding tangles. She even found herself doubling back to brush whatever strands looked like they wanted more attention.

Maybe she was just really, really enjoying herself (and Elsa's hair) but by the time she was done she was grinning like a fool. Instead of the platinum lion's mane she'd been met with that morning, Elsa's hair was now a silken curtain of pale, pale blonde. Her long bangs, usually pushed back, had practically disappeared amongst the longer strands. However, Anna didn't really seem to care that she was done. She continued to brush her hands through Elsa's hair, still very much enjoying herself. "Hey, can I braid it for you?"

Elsa cracked one eye open, grinning at the enraptured look on Anna's face. She certainly wasn't in a position to refuse; not only was Anna's look of fascination absolutely adorable, but Elsa was getting just as much pleasure from having Anna's fingers running through her hair as Anna was having with her job. The redhead's touch was gentle and comforting, intimate in an innocent sort of way. It was just the sort of contact they both needed to get over last night.

And the elated little wiggle that Anna let loose when Elsa nodded was definitely worth it.

* * *

><p><strong>Not a particularly exciting chapter I know, but I figured you guys could use some fluff after all the drama from the last few chapters. Sorry about the wait, but seriously y'all need to be less rabid. I'm not gonna abandon the story, so if every now and then I can't manage a Sunday update there's no need to bite my head off.<strong>

**Love you guys, though. The story's got over half a million hits, which is just insane. **

**-Cel **


	23. Chapter 23

"Yes Meg, I'm home safe and sound. I still have all of my limbs, I didn't set _anything_ on fire, and no one's dead. It was a perfectly relaxing weekend."

"Why do I not believe you?"

Anna rolled her eyes and nudged the apartment door closed with her elbow. "Alright, you got me. I now have a prosthetic leg. Lost the real one in a horrible waltzing accident. Woe is me!"

"Watch the sass there, Gingersnap. So, was it your plan to leave me in suspense all weekend or did you seriously just _forget _to answer any of my text messages?"

Anna frowned, her voice growing indignant. "Hey! I totally answered you!"

She could practically feel Meg frowning in response. A picture of the curvy brunette rolling her eyes as she smacked a hand to her forehead appeared all too easily in Anna's head. "Gingersnap, I know that you may be socially stunted, but one measly 'I'm alive!' message the night _before _the party does not count as 'answering,' it's barely even a nod in my direction."

Anna couldn't help the giggle that slipped past her lips. "You're so needy. You think Kristoff was this worried? Geez, I'm fine!"

"Your prosthetic leg says otherwise."

Anna narrowed her eyes, but a grin curled at her lips. She tossed her duffel bag onto the couch and then placed her hand on her hip. "Very funny. Look, you wanna go to Ralph's or something? You can interrogate me all you want there."

She wondered briefly if Meg would accept the invitation or continue to give her grief. Anna was pleasantly surprised when, instead of another sassy remark, Meg offered a meek "….be there in ten."

* * *

><p>Truthfully it took Meg more like thirty minutes, but Anna didn't mind waiting. She plopped herself down face-first onto the couch, using her duffel as a makeshift pillow. She inhaled the smell of home, grinning as she snuggled into the familiar warmth. Her bed at Elsa's place had been fantastically soft but there was nothing quite like being in your own home, surrounded by your own scent.<p>

_Well that was a weird way to put it. I can't even _really_ smell anything… why is it that other people's houses always smell so nice but your own home never smells like anything? _

Anna half-rose from the couch and lifted her head as she breathed in again, air whistling through her nostrils as she tried to capture even the slightest clue as to what she smelled like. She held it in for a moment, forehead creasing as she contemplated the odor… or lack thereof. With an exaggerated sigh she flopped back down onto her duffle. She winced as her chin clacked against one of the buckles. "Ow… I give up. Guess I'll remain odorless forever."

Her butt began to vibrate and she jumped, turning to look over her shoulder. She reached back and retrieved her phone from her pocket, grinning when she saw that it was Meg calling. With a flick of her thumb she answered the call, pressing the device to her ear. "Meg? Are you here? Ah, alright sweet! Be down in a sec!"

The bubbly little redhead rolled off the couch and hit the ground running, scrambling to pull on her shoes. She double-knotted one sneaker and got halfway through doing the other before deciding one knot was good enough, leaving the half-done knot to flop around as she left her apartment, locking the door behind her.

When she made it downstairs she grinned at the sight of Meg caught in yet another argument with Jim, the doorman. Jim seemed to be counting something off on his hands, most likely reasons why his motorcycle was better than Meg's, while Meg just stared at him with her arms crossed, unimpressed. Anna's eyebrows shot up in surprise when she took a second look at Jim. While the temperamental (but very attractive, Anna had _no_ problem admitting that) young man was usually unkempt and faintly vagrant-looking, he almost looked the part of gentleman today. His rat-tail had been cut away, his hair neatly clipped and brushed, and the gold hoop that he normally wore was missing.

She cocked her head, curious as to what could have caused Jim's makeover. With a smirk, she stepped between the two arguing brunettes, laying a comforting hand on each of their shoulders. "Now, now guys, you're both pretty." Meg snorted and tossed her head, but Jim had the decency to look sheepish and he raised a hand to rub at the back of his neck. Anna eyed him with a grin. "Well Jim, we're looking mighty spiffy today. What happened, did your mom finally chop off your ponytail while you were asleep?"

Jim narrowed his eyes and looked away. "It was not a ponytail!" He crossed his arms, shoulders slumping like a petulant child's. "My Uncle Silver just hit it big with his new mine. His crew called on Friday, not long after you left actually. They found a really rich vein or whatever, so he threw this huge party. Probably spent half of what this mine's gonna make him, too. But you can't tell that numbskull anything," Jim said with affection clear in his voice.

"So… what, you're mom made you get a haircut so you'd look nice?"

Jim turned his eyes back to her. "What makes you so sure my _mom_ made me? What if I just wanted to get a haircut?"

When Anna answered, completely innocently, "Because you do everything your mom tells you to," Meg burst out into laughter. Jim's cheeks reddened and he mumbled something about checking on the furnace before fleeing the scene. Meg continued to laugh, one hand clutching Anna's shoulder for support.

"Oh my God, Gingersnap," Meg chuckled again as she carefully wiped a tear away from her eye. "That was great." After she got herself under control Meg's lips split in a wide grin and she pulled Anna into a fierce hug. "I'm happy you're back, short stuff."

Anna smiled and returned the hug. She enjoyed the warmth for a moment before stepping back and twirling once. "See? Still in one piece!"

Meg cocked a brow and the corner of her mouth twitched up in a smirk. She reached out and pinched Anna's cheek, chuckling when Anna yelped in protest. "Alright sassy, I get it. Come on, let's go get some chocolate in you; I think you might be suffering from a deficiency. That would certainly explain all the lip you've been giving me." Meg held on for a moment longer, smiling down at the now-frowning redhead. Granted, the frown was anything but intimidating considering the skin of Anna's cheek was stretched out quite comically. "Come on, I brought the bike."

In an instant the frown disappeared and Anna's face lit up. When Meg finally released the poor girl's cheek Anna pumped a fist in the air with an excited shout. She practically sprinted for the doors, leaving Meg to follow along at a more relaxed pace, rolling her eyes as she went. By the time the brunette made it outside Anna was already seated on the Yamaha, helmet clapped onto her head. She was bouncing up and down in the seat, excited beyond belief.

"Hurry up, slowpoke!"

"I have an idea. If all you wanted me for was my bike, why don't you just get your own?"

"Oh, _ha ha._ Very funny."

"_I_ thought so," Meg said smugly as she swung a leg over the bike and settled herself in front of Anna. She put on her own helmet and started up the bike, a grin curling at her lips when the sound of Anna giggling reached her ears.

"You and I both know I'd probably end up driving into a lamppost and breaking myself." The pleasant warmth of Anna's body pressing up against her back as the redhead wrapped her arms around Meg's middle had her mischievous grin settling into something softer, more affectionate. "Besides, why drive myself when I have _you _as a chauffeur?"

Meg just shook her head, a faux-exasperated sigh escaping her lips as she revved the engine and kicked off from the curb.

Within twenty minutes they were seated at Ralph's, Anna getting ready to dig into her super-chocolate-holy-cow-how-can-you-eat-that-and-not-get-diabetes sundae. Meg had stuck with her usual root beer float and sat with her legs crossed, swirling the straw in her drink.

"So, Gingersnap. I'll give you five minutes of peace to scarf that thing down like I know you're going to, and then I expect the full low-down on this weekend. Capisce?"

Anna gave her a mock salute, a grin curling at her lips. "Aye aye, captain!"

And to Meg's disgust, five minutes was all it took. When the spoon clattered into the empty bowl Meg pushed the napkin dispenser towards Anna, averting her eyes as she did so. Anna, who had chocolate smeared around her face, muttered a 'Thank you,' and began the arduous task of cleaning herself up. "I'll never understand where you put it all, Gingersnap. It's truly frightening."

Anna removed the napkin from her face to stick her tongue out and then settled back into her chair with a content sigh. "It goes straight to my happy place. It's like fuel."

Meg raised a brow and leaned forward, face growing serious as she rested her elbows on the table. "So, Anna. You've got your fuel, you've got your audience, time to spill. Tell me about this weekend."

Anna's brow furrowed, eyebrows coming together as her smile fell. "Um… well, it was fine. Fun! It was fun. The party was great, and I didn't trip over myself or anything and I got through the night without embarrassing myself too bad. I mean, I _did_ kinda fall once but then I… oh! I got to see my cousin! Yeah, apparently my uncle's ranch is really close to where Elsa lives? Weird, right? Like, who'd a thought? I mean, yeah they're kinda out of the way, it's mainly country and forest up there so who knows how far apart our houses actually are, but still! Small world, huh?" She trailed off with a nervous laugh, trying desperately to keep her poker face as Meg's eyes bored into hers.

"And… Elsa?"

Anna tried to swallow the lump in her throat, right eye twitching ever so slightly. "W-what about Elsa?"

Meg remained silent, though her eyes hardened and she leaned further forward, crossing her arms on the table top. Lavender eyes stared hard into Anna's, her mouth drawn in a firm line. Anna blushed under the scrutiny, and eventually had to turn away. Her eyes fell to the linoleum floor, occasionally flicking up to glance at Meg out of the corner of her eye. Slowly her shoulders began to scrunch up towards her ears, and she began to fiddle with her hands.

When she did, Meg's eyes glanced down. Realizing how uncomfortable the younger girl was, she relented with a sigh. Meg reached out and laid a hand on top of Anna's. Anna jumped at the contact, eyes snapping back up as she sat at attention.

"Look Gingersnap, I just want to make sure you're okay. If something happened between you two, then you don't _have_ to tell me. It's your business." Anna's eyes lit up in surprise. "_But…_ if something _did_ happen… then I want you to be able to tell me about it." When Anna just stared blankly at her, Meg felt the heat rising in her cheeks and she withdrew her hand. She crossed her arms and thumped against the back of her chair. Now it was her turn to look away, embarrassed. "I mean, isn't that what friends are for?"

Anna cocked her head. There was silence between them for a moment, as Anna's gaze fell to her lap. She twiddled her thumbs absentmindedly, biting at her bottom lip as her thoughts raced.

"…are you gonna finish that?"

Before Meg could even answer Anna had swiped her root beer float, pulling it towards herself even as Meg whined in protest. The redhead brought the straw to her lips and sucked, slurping up the beverage as Meg glowered from across the table.

"…I will tell you." Anna had placed the glass back down, eyes unreadable as she stared at the table. "First I gotta figure some things out. Elsa's fine… we're both fine. It's just…" Anna sighed, running a hand through her bangs. "A lot of things happened this weekend, you know? Nothing bad!" she exclaimed when Meg opened her mouth to speak. "Nothing bad…"

She trailed off and Meg tilted her head, trying to meet Anna's eyes. "Nothing bad but… nothing good?"

"I wouldn't say that… I actually really had fun at the ball. I had fun most of the weekend, actually. I just… found a lot out. About Elsa, about her family… maybe even about me. And… I think just need a little bit of time to process all of it before I figure out how I feel about it. It's like… I think I know what I feel, and I know how I'm _supposed_ to feel about it, but I'm not actually sure _how_ I feel about it. Like, if someone told you that they failed a test and later you find out that you aced it part of you want to feel bad for them but then the other part of you wants to dance around and sing hallelujah and you're not really sure what to do… so you kind of just stand there awkwardly until you figure it out."

Meg blinked, confused as she tried to deconstruct Anna's speech. Said girl sighed and put her head in her hands, pushing the half-finished root beer float back across the table. "Ugh, ignore my word vomit, please."

"Um, no… I think I get it. You're just not sure where things stand, is that it?" Anna nodded. "Well… are you and Elsa still on, sorry for the wording, speaking terms?"

Anna looked up. "Yeah! No, we're fine. I'm still gonna go visit her on Wednesday."

Meg was quiet for a moment. Finally she nodded and stood. "Come on Gingersnap. I think you need some time to defrost your brain and come back to the real world. I'll leave you alone for a while, give you time to figure out what's going on in that crazy little head of yours. But when you finally do figure it out, we can come back for more ice cream. Maybe then I'll actually get to drink my own root beer float."

Anna grinned sheepishly, but stood and followed Meg out of the ice cream shop.

Later that night Anna lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. She hadn't moved for what felt like an eternity, and had no intention of doing so any time soon. Her mind was racing a million miles a minute, all in circles. Throughout the day it was true that she'd been distracted; her interactions with Meg that had been cryptic to the point of nonsense, and it had only worsened the moment Meg had dropped her off at home. At home, where she was alone, where her mind was perfectly free to wander and cause nothing but grief.

Anna sighed.

_I mean… can you blame me? Everything's just so messed up. What am I supposed to think? How am I supposed to feel?_

…_what am I gonna do when I see her on Wednesday?_

Anna's eyes screwed shut as the scene began to play out again in her head. It had been just hours ago, before Mrs. Helland had driven her back home.

* * *

><p><em>((Earlier that day))<em>

Elsa and Anna had just finished having lunch with Elsa's parents, and everything had been fine. They hadn't asked about either girl's mysterious disappearance from the night before, nor had they asked about what they'd done that morning. Anton had been charming as always, and Catrine kept the same serene smile throughout the meal. When lunch was over, Mrs. Helland told Anna to be ready at three so she could be driven home. Anna had agreed with a smile, relieved that all the awkward tension and accusing glances she'd conjured up in her head had been nothing but her own imagination.

When Elsa and Anna had headed back upstairs, her head became filled with thoughts of home and Hans. She'd be going back to the real world, and she was too busy thinking to notice the way Elsa was watching her.

"I'm gonna pack all my stuff up, okay? I'll meet you in your room when I'm done," she said distractedly, her mind clearly elsewhere.

Elsa had eyed her warily before biting her lip and nodding, heading into her own room. Anna watched her go, eyeing the braid that she'd done for Elsa that morning. It was much neater than Elsa's usual braid, but that may have been because Elsa for some reason had left it alone. Which was odd, considering Elsa always seemed to be playing with her own hair. Anna couldn't recall seeing her touch her hair so much as once that day, except maybe to run a hand through her bangs.

When Elsa disappeared behind her door Anna had blinked and headed into her room. She headed over to the bed and picked up her duffel bag, tossing it onto the mattress. She grabbed her pajamas, which she'd tossed carelessly onto the bed when she'd gotten dressed that morning and, without bothering to fold them, shoved them in. Her clothes from the previous days were already squished in the bottom, so all she had to do was grab her Nintendo, her phone and her toothbrush.

'_Well the toothbrush I can grab on the way over to Elsa's room…' _So she reached over to the bedside table and grabbed her Nintendo, tossing it into the bag. She crossed the room to the dresser where her phone sat charging. Without checking for messages or missed calls she plucked it off the charger and shoved it into her back pocket. As quickly as she could she wrapped the charger up.

Once she had everything but her toothbrush packed she zipped up her duffel. She figured she could just shove the brush into one of the side pockets, so she headed into the bathroom. Once there she went to the sink and reached out for the brush, but something made her pause.

Anna turned to look at the door of Elsa's bedroom.

…_are we really okay? Is _she_ gonna be okay? I mean, she goes back to the institute tomorrow. Back to the big sweaters, the once-a-week visits…_

_And what about me? I have to go back to school. I had a history paper I could've been working on this weekend, but hey that's not due till Tuesday so I can probably crank that out tomorrow night. Now that I'm not visiting Hans so much anymore I can…_

The thought of her brother made her frown.

Hans was still a problem. A problem that had been eating at the back of her psyche for quite a while, even though she'd been forcing herself to ignore it for the sake of this weekend. How was he faring without her? What were they doing to him? What if he was getting worse? What if he was getting into more fights?

_What if he and that kid got into another fist fight? What if they really hurt each other? Oh my God… he could be lying in a hospital bed right now and I'd never know! No, that can't be right… I mean… they'd have to tell me if he was hurt, right? They couldn't just _hide_ that from me. There's no way!_

Anna bit her lip, reaching up to run a hand through her hair. Memories of Hans hitting that other boy flashed through her head, the look on his face when they'd taken away his visitation rights. When she closed her eyes she heard the sound of him crying out her name.

As pained lines marred her forehead, Anna gently massaged her temple. "Ugh… why can't life just be easy? Not boring, never boring… but it would be a lot more fun without all this extra headache."

Once again she turned to look at Elsa's door.

Oddly enough… despite everything that had happened between them… Elsa was the one thing that didn't give her headaches. Sure, sometimes things were awkward between them, especially after Friday, and quite frankly Anna had no idea where they stood. But still, despite all the uncertainty, when the two of them were together none of that really mattered. All of their interactions, though they could be clumsy and sometimes (from an outside perspective) one-sided, always left her with warmth in her chest.

Anna cocked her head and crossed the bathroom floor, pausing only for a moment before cracking Elsa's bedroom door open. She put her eye to the slit, peeking in to see what Elsa was doing.

The blonde had her back to Anna, and the off-the-shoulder violet blouse she was wearing gave Anna a lovely view of the curve of Elsa's neck. Her pale skin was practically luminescent in the light of the room, and Anna squinted to see if there were any pale freckles dotting the skin. She was slightly disappointed when she realized she'd have to get closer… but then she did. And the disappointment disappeared.

She crossed the room slowly, and as she approached she realized that Elsa was bent over a drawing, her hand flying back and forth as she worked. Anna cocked her head, curious as to what Elsa was sketching.

Anna hesitated before attempting to climb onto the bed, afraid that she would startle the other girl, but when she rested a knee on the bed with no reaction from Elsa she shuffled forward. Slowly, so as not to jostle Elsa as she worked, she crawled her way up behind the blonde to peek over her shoulder.

When she saw what Elsa was drawing, she fought back the 'Awwwww,' that immediately rose up in her throat.

A fox, Anna's absolute favorite animal, stared out at her from the sketchbook. The black ears tipped forward, alert and focused on the viewer. Its head was tilted ever so slightly to the side, and its snake-like eyes were bright. Somehow Elsa had manage to create a creature that radiated calm, whether it was in the way she shaded the fur or the way the eyes seemed to smile up at her, Anna couldn't help the grin that spread across her face.

_It's so cute… but why a fox? _

Anna turned her eyes to Elsa, who was so engrossed in her work that she had yet to notice Anna beside her. Anna took advantage of that to admire Elsa from up close.

She followed the curve of Elsa's petite nose, counted each pale freckle dusted across her cheeks. She found herself awed over the sheer length of Elsa's lashes; they practically _fluttered_ when Elsa blinked. Anna zoomed out to wonder over the marvels of Elsa's hair, wondering how in God's name she managed to keep her bangs slicked back like that. The obvious answer would be hair gel, but Anna had done Elsa's hair herself that morning, and knew for a fact that Elsa had used not a single product to style it. She mused silently for a few moments, tossing ideas around in her head, before letting the matter rest and zeroing back in on Elsa's face.

_I really forget how gorgeous she is sometimes… it's unreal. And she's such a sweetheart too. _

The smile on Anna's face began to border on dorky as she continued to stare, unaware that the beating of her heart was beginning to quicken.

When Elsa's tongue darted out to wet her lips, Anna found herself staring. Unabashedly. Elsa's lips looked soft, even from here. Anna's eyelids fluttered as she recalled last night, when they'd been painted a stunning cherry red to match her dress. Now, without makeup, they were pink like flower petals and, oddly enough, hypnotizing.

Anna didn't realize that she was leaning in, not even when Elsa's hand paused.

Still unaware of Anna's warmth beside her, Elsa scrutinized the drawing before her, blue irises darting over every detail. While the image in her head was clear, the drawing was still lacking… something. Elsa sighed and dropped her pencil, reaching up a hand to rub at her forehead.

When she felt warmth breath ghosting over her ear, a shiver wracked her spine and she whipped her head to the side. Hazy turquoise eyes stared back at her, very close, half lidded, filling her vision. Elsa froze, heart stopping. Her eyes were wide, confused, and all together shell-shocked.

Anna, for her part, didn't flinch away. Her eyes remained fixed on Elsa's lips, her pupils dilating. When Elsa had whipped her head to the side the two girls were so close that there had been the slightest brush, the _briefest_ moment of contact_…_

Instinctively, Anna let her eyes fall shut as she pressed forward, fighting the urge to shudder when their lips met. Elsa's lips were just as soft as they looked, warm and pliant beneath her own. It lasted only for a moment, but for that moment there was not a single thought in Anna's head. There were only notions, feelings like _yes _and _warm _and _soft_ and _right. _

But the moment passed when some part of Anna's brain registered the sharp intake of breath she heard from somewhere in front of her, felt the slightest tremor run through Elsa's body. In an instant her head was roaring with cries of _'What are you doing?! Why did you do that?! Get away from her!'_ and her eyes flew open. She pulled away sharply, almost falling back onto the mattress.

_Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God…_

Elsa's eyes were closed, her lips parted slightly as her jaw had fallen slack once Anna had pulled away. Anna watched, terrified, as Elsa's eyes slowly opened, unfocused as they stared down at the bed. Anna's heart was pounding in her chest, and when Elsa's eyes met hers she clutched at the sheets beneath her.

There was a look in Elsa's eyes… such an honest expression of child-like wonder that Anna felt unworthy of looking upon. She felt like she was missing something, like some important thing had just flown right over her head without her even knowing. The two stared at each other in silence, and just when Anna thought she was getting her breathing under control Elsa raised a hand to her mouth, fingertips pressing gently against the pink flesh of her bottom lip as her eyes fell half-shut. A dreamy smile stretched across the blonde's face, a rosy glow rising in her cheeks. Anna gulped, eyes unable to focus on anything but the look of stunned bliss on Elsa's face and in that moment she realized that her own lips were tingling like mad.

She had enjoyed that. She had _thoroughly_ enjoyed that.

_Not cool, Anna! Absolutely not cool! You came completely out of nowhere, you shouldn't have done that! Who cares if she liked it, she- wait, what? No, no you will not take advantage of the way Elsa feels to justify your absolute creeper status! This is why we knock, Anna! This is why we announce our presence, so we don't end up totally catching people off guard and kissing them out of nowhere! Not cool!_

"E-Elsa, I'm sorry, I-I…" her voice was shaky, squeaky even. She swallowed again as fire filled her cheeks.

_Sorry?! You think 'sorry' is going to fix this? Idiot, Anna! Idiot, idiot, idiot!_

Anna's entire frame twitched when Elsa's eyes seemed to refocus, the haziness in them disappearing as she began to move. The blonde beamed at her as she shuffled forward but when she saw the panic in Anna's face, saw the redhead instinctively tense and prepare to back away, Elsa's eyes widened. One hand came down on top of Anna's, fingers weaving their way through the redhead's. The other cupped Anna's chin, effectively holding her in place.

Elsa's eyes were intense… but calm. They were serious, having lost their dazed quality from moments ago. Serious, but very gentle. Once she was sure Anna wouldn't run she remained still, maintaining eye contact even when Anna began to splutter out apologies.

"I really, really should've told you I was here but, but I just wanted to see what you were drawing and then I was looking at you and then you were just _there _and I, I… I'm sorry I didn't-"

Elsa's eyes narrowed, hurt filling her gaze as her confidence faltered. Anna saw the change and her face fell, the tension in her body lessening as she searched Elsa's face.

…_I can't say I didn't mean it. I can't. That wouldn't be fair… and it wouldn't be true. But this isn't right! I-I feel like I'm taking advantage of her, I mean I know she has feelings for me… but what about me? Elsa's so sweet, she's been nothing but amazing to me. What if I hurt her? Elsa, what if I hurt you? You don't deserve that, Elsa. You deserve to be _happy,_ happy with someone who wants nothing but the best for you… someone who doesn't have a million other things on her mind. Elsa, I…_

"I-I don't want to hurt you."

Both girls' eyes widened at the confession, and Anna clapped her free hand over her mouth. Elsa stared at her in shock, mouth hanging open as her grip on Anna's chin loosened.

Just then there was a knock at the door, and both Elsa and Anna jumped. Anna pulled away, while Elsa remained where she was, quickly reaching out to shut the sketchbook.

"Girls?" It was Catrine, stepping into the room with a smile on her face. "Anna dear, would you mind if we left a bit early? I received a call and need to meet with someone in town at 3:30. If we leave now I should have you home by 3:15."

"Uh…" Anna cast a quick glance at Elsa, who was still staring at her with wide eyes, before nodding once. The Helland's were her hosts after all; it wasn't like she was in a place to argue when she went home.

_Yeah right, you liar. There's another reason you want to leave. You're running away. Coward._

She ignored her conscience and stood. "Um, I'll just go get my bag then."

Catrine nodded. "Very well, I'll leave you two alone to say your goodbyes. I'll meet you in the foyer, Miss Christian. I assume you know the way?" The matron of the house smiled when Anna nodded in response and left the room, shutting the door softly behind her.

There was utter silence for a moment.

Anna ran a hand through her hair, scratching at her scalp as she felt Elsa's eyes burning into her back. "U-um… I'm gonna go, get my bag." She practically sprinted for the bathroom, grabbing her toothbrush and running to her duffel. She tossed the brush into one of the side pockets and zipped it up, tossing it over her shoulder as she inhaled deeply. She held it in for a moment, trying to rein in her rapid heartbeat.

When she felt a hand on her shoulder she almost screamed, but when the hand's owner turned her around and she saw Elsa smiling down at her the urge disappeared. The blonde's face was calm, her eyes bright as she stared down into Anna's own shy ones.

"E-Elsa, I…"

All of a sudden Elsa's hands were cupping her jaw, and Anna saw the taller girl's eyes falling shut as Elsa pulled her forward. Their lips met once again and this time it was Anna who inhaled sharply, brain short-circuiting the moment Elsa's warm mouth pressed against hers, fierce but gentle, mindful of every ounce of delicious pressure applied.

It took only a moment for Anna's eyes to fall shut, body relaxing as her logic fizzed out and the sensation of _right_ she felt before came back full force.

It was Elsa who pulled away first, fighting the urge to grin when she saw that Anna's eyes were still shut. When they opened back up it was slowly, the redhead's vision wavering as she tried to process what had just happened. When she looked up and saw Elsa smiling down at her she immediately looked away, eyes falling to the floor as a full-body blush took hold of her.

Without thinking she pulled away, muttering a shaky 'Thanks for this weekend,' as she headed for the door. She pulled it open and hesitated. Anna bit her lip and sent a quick glance over her shoulder. When she saw that Elsa was still staring with what was clearly nothing but pure, honest affection and a certain _something_ else shining in her eyes Anna could offer only a meek wave before running downstairs.

* * *

><p><em>((Back in Anna's room))<em>

The entire drive back had been uncomfortable, at least for Anna. Catrine tried to engage her in conversation but her mind had still been in recovery for most of the ride. It wasn't until they were about ten minutes away from her apartment that she'd begun to feel normal again, and even that was mostly show.

_And now that I'm alone… everything's coming back. Just like it always does._

Anna closed her eyes and curled up into a ball, turning onto her side and burying her head under a pillow. The way Elsa had looked at her stayed with Anna all day; the hope and the purity of the emotion in Elsa's eyes had been too much for her. It felt like a standard she knew she had no hopes of meeting. What would she do if Elsa ended up hurt because of her? What if after everything they'd been through, Anna managed to screw it all up? But she couldn't just quit, she couldn't just stop seeing Elsa. That would destroy the other girl almost as surely as anything Anna could do with their mutual attraction, or anything that would come of it.

She'd told Meg that she wasn't sure how she felt, but that wasn't true. Anna knew what she felt.

She was terrified.

…_I'm in too deep._

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry about the wait guys, life had me terrified for a little while there. Hope this chapter makes up for it ;)<strong>


	24. Chapter 24

Getting up for school the next day had been struggle. If there had ever been a morning where Anna just wanted to sleep in and ignore the world, it was _that_ morning. Her sleep had been anything but peaceful, and because she'd spent all of last night moping she hadn't started her history paper. It was due tomorrow so she'd probably be up all night writing about foreign dictators whose names she couldn't pronounce. Plus she had to go grocery shopping with Kristoff and tell him everything that had happened this weekend, which would probably take at least two hours.

She pretty much had her day planned out by the time she'd driven to school, and there was no scenario that ended with her going to bed until after midnight.

So she trudged into school that morning with a scowl on her face, ignoring the questioning looks thrown her way as she made her way to her locker. She was going through her schedule in her head, trying to remember what books she needed and what she could do without. She opened up her locker and retrieved her math notebook, and the things she'd need for English class.

_I'm pretty sure we're still watching that documentary on, um… meteors or something in astronomy. I swear… when I signed up for that class I thought we were gonna be learning about constellations, not calculating planet mass and gravity. Thank god Hans took it when he was a sophomore, otherwise I'd never pass._

Anna blew her fringe out of her face and zipped up her bag. _At least we get to watch movies every other week. Thank the lord we have Professor Delbert… I've heard that the other chick is terrifying. Amelia something or other… does she even have a last name?_

"Hey, Christian."

Anna jumped, gasping as she hugged her backpack to her chest and turned around. The surprise on her face fell into irritation (with maybe just the slightest bit of fear) when she saw Hercules staring down at her. The ginger boy had his backpack hanging off of one shoulder, his hands buried deep in his pockets. The look on his face was stuck somewhere between angry and nervous, and the moment she'd turned around his eyes had dropped to the floor.

Anna stood silently, casting quick glances up and down the hall. No one seemed to be paying them any mind, so she glanced back up at Hercules before breathing in deeply. Straightening her spine, she threw back her shoulders and glared up at the young man. "What do you want, Hercules?"

He scratched at the back of his neck, glancing off to the side. He was clearly uncomfortable, which made Anna uncomfortable by proxy. "Um… how's it going?"

Anna narrowed her eyes. What the heck? This boy had always been one of her main problems at school, him and a few of the other boys on the football team. They all usually had angry scowls on their faces whenever she passed by in the halls, and if they ever stopped to talk to her it was only to tell her that her brother was a psycho who deserved to rot away with all the other 'crazies.'

It had been a long time since any of them had treated her like a human being.

So naturally, Anna found the whole situation totally fishy.

"I'll say it again, what do you _want_, Hercules?" She couldn't keep the slight nervousness out of her voice. The boy did have forty pounds on her, easy.

And now he was glaring at her… but there was something sad in his eyes. Anna cocked a brow and crossed her arms over her chest. She didn't know much about Hercules, just that he'd only started playing football this year… she didn't really remember seeing him around at all before that. All she really knew was that he was disturbingly muscular for someone who didn't take steroids (all the school athletes were subject to random drug tests), and that he and Meg used to date.

"I _want_ my girlfriend back." Hercules barked.

…_oh. So that's it. He doesn't actually care about _me.

But Anna was still confused, and she frowned. Was he asking for her help? How did he even know that Anna and Meg were friends? After all, Anna hadn't seen him since… actually since the day that Anna had first met Meg. "Um… look I don't know what happened between you two but-"

"Because it's none of your business," he interrupted her, crossing his thick arms over his chest. He didn't say it angrily or even all that loudly. It came out in a sort of morose mumble, bordering on whiny. His eyes were definitely sad now, and despite herself Anna grew curious. She half-turned to close her locker before turning back to Hercules.

Anna raised her hands defensively. "Okay then… classified." She paused, nose scrunching up. She mirrored Hercules' pose and crossed her own arms over her chest. "How am I supposed to help you get your girlfriend back then?"

"She…" he looked really uncomfortable now, rocking back onto his heels. "She um, told me I had to apologize to you."

Anna's brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait, what? Why would Meg even… I-I don't get it. How will apologizing to me make you two boyfriend and girlfriend again?"

Hercules looked down at her, posture still tense even as he managed a half-smile. "Well, really she told me to stop being an asshole."

Wide teal eyes blinked owlishly. Anna was dumbfounded. "And… what, apologizing is supposed to just make months of harassment go away?" Anna felt anger bubbling up inside her, anger and disbelief. "Look, Hercules, if you wanted to make a good impression then maybe you _shouldn't_ have told me you were only apologizing because your ex-girlfriend told you to! I mean, did you actually think it was gonna be that easy?"

Hercules had the decency to look embarrassed, and his shoulders sank as defeat caused his face to fall. "Look, Christian I…"

Anna raised a single finger to silence him, wagging it at him disapprovingly as her eyes narrowed in anger. "First thing's first, it's _Anna,_ not 'Christian.' Second, if you actually want to apologize, do it because you're _actually_ sorry, not because someone told you to. Because then, maybe the apology might actually be worth something. If you want your girlfriend to take you back, try fixing whatever split you guys apart in the first place! Wait…" Anna paused, her stance wavering as a thought entered her head. "You didn't cheat on her, did you?!"

Hercules' eyes widened, horror springing up in his eyes at the mere thought. "No!" he cried, "I love her! I would never, you don't understand I-I, I can't even _look _at other girls. Meg's been the only one who ever really cared about me, the _real _me. Before football, Meg was the only thing I ever had. A-and even now, she's the only thing I ever think about. Meg's _it_ for me, don't you get it? I miss her so much… and I'd do anything to have her back!"

The boy looked close to tears, his eyes misty. His hands were clenched into fists at his side, and his backpack was in danger of slipping off his shoulder.

Anna silently watched the emotions overcome his face, and felt a headache coming on. With a sigh, she stepped forward and laid a hand on his arm. "Look, I didn't get any sleep last night and I'm really not my feeling like myself right now. Honestly? Part of me doesn't care about what you want but… I dunno. I don't usually see guys cry, so who knows. Maybe you are telling the truth and you are sorry." _Not necessarily for the right reasons, but we can work on that. _"But… that doesn't mean you and Meg are just gonna magically get back together. At least, I don't think that's how it works… I'm not exactly a love expert." She finished with a pained smile, reminded horribly of how at a loss she was with her own love situation.

Before her brain had the chance to run away with thoughts of Elsa, Anna shook her head and looked up into Hercules' eyes. They were still watery but he was giving her all of his attention. From up close he didn't look all that intimidating; his posture was slumped in a way that suggested insecurity, and for the first time Anna noticed that there was a fatigued pallor to his otherwise-tan skin.

She tilted her head. "But… I'll tell you what. Go talk to my friend Kristoff. He won't admit it, but he misses throwing around a football. I mean, that is if you're serious about apologizing. Lord knows he's way more patient than I am, maybe he'll know how to help. But… for now, I won't accept your apology. Come back when you mean it, okay? When you actually understand what you did wrong."

With that she left Hercules standing in the hallway, staring after her as she trudged to her first class. After a while he heaved out a great sigh and turned to head off in the other direction, his head low.

Hours later, after what seemed like an eternity the final bell rang, and Anna felt the urge to sing praise bubble up in her stomach. When she succeeded in keeping it down she compensated with a tired smile, leaning far back into her seat and cracking her back with a content sigh. "Finally…"

The redhead hurried to her locker, eager to get out of there and settle herself onto her couch at home. Maybe she'd actually try one of those video games she always watched her brother play. There was that one set in Italy that looked really cool… Assassin Something-or-other?

_That one didn't seem too hard… all you have to do is hide in hay bales and do that really cool counter-attack thing whenever one of the guards swings a sword at you. Plus they speak Italian! Hm… but what if I get hungry listening to them talk? Maybe I'll order a pizza beforehand… pizza's Italian._

An irritated shout broke through her musing, "Anna! Anna, wait up!"

She turned and grinned at the sight of Kristoff heading her way, shoving his way past other people. Her grin shriveled at the realization that Kristoff did _not_ look happy. Before she could find the power to run he was standing before her with his arms crossed, brown eyes narrowed at her in irritation.

Her grin grew nervous and she brushed her fringe away from her eyes. "H-hey there, buddy. What can I do you for?"

"You can explain to me why _Jerk_ules of all people just asked me to meet him on the football field in ten."

Anna's brows lifted up in mild surprise. "Wow… didn't think he'd actually listen."

"Didn't think he'd listen to _what?_"

Anna winced at her best friend's tone. "Well… see Hercules kinda cornered me this morning and basically told me that he wants to get back together with Meg but she's still mad at him and apparently she told him to apologize for being a jerk to me. But I could tell that he wasn't actually sorry, he just wanted Meg back. And he kinda, actually really sounded sad about it so…" she paused, eyes apologetic. "So I might have told him to ask you for advice since, I dunno, you're way smarter about these kinds of things… and I really just didn't want to deal with him."

Kristoff cocked a brow at her words, concern appearing in his gaze. "Didn't want to deal with him. Right. Bad day?"

Anna groaned, nodding her head and letting her eyes fall shut. "Try bad 48 hours."

"Does it have anything to do with Elsa?"

Anna's eyes flew open and she stared at Kristoff in shock, mouth flopped open in surprise. "How did you know?!"

Kristoff just chuckled, uncrossing his arms so he could ruffle her hair. "Because I'm your best friend, feisty pants. I can see right through you." When she puffed her cheeks out in a pout he grinned, but after a moment he gripped her shoulders and leaned in. "Is it anything… y'know, bad? She didn't… uh, do anything crazy, did she? I-I mean since you're still here in one piece it can't be anything too bad, right?"

Anna seemed to deflate, eyes closing once again. She let out a sigh, heavy and deep from her very core. "…I don't know, Kristoff."

Kristoff didn't hesitate to pull her into a hug, and she pressed her face against his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist and enjoyed the warmth and security of her best friend's embrace. She felt his chin on the top of her head, and he squeezed her once. "You're alright, feisty pants. I got you."

Anna smiled tiredly. "Thanks, Kristoff." She squeezed back, hanging on for a moment before pulling away. When she looked back at him her face was peaceful, and Kristoff smiled at the sight. But when her lips curled up in a mischievous grin his forehead creased. "So… here's the deal. You go deal with Jerkules, and I'll find out why Meg broke up with him in the first place. Between the two of us, they could be back together by the end of the week!"

Kristoff rolled his eyes and groaned. "Anna, we're sophomores, not match-makers."

"So? Hercules is only junior! And Meg's one of my best friends!"

"Yeah, and you're telling me you _want _your best friend to get back together with a jerk?" Kristoff was eyeing her oddly, genuine confusion in his gaze. If Anna hadn't known better, she would have labeled that look as 'suspicious.'

Anna shrugged. "I'm not so sure he's a jerk. He practically bawled his eyes out in front of me this morning. He was even sappier than Eugene gets when he talks about how he fell in love with Rapunzel." Kristoff's eyebrows shot up and he stared down at her in disbelief. She frowned and stomped her foot. "I'm serious! You should have heard him! He was all like, 'oh I _love_ her, Meg's _it _for me, don't you see?'" She pressed the back of her hand to her forehead and began to fan herself, trying to hold back the grin as her voice took a turn for the dramatics. "'Oh, I think about her day and night, what shall I do if we never get back together? Oh, I'll never play football again!'"

Kristoff tried to choke back a laugh but when Anna erupted into giggles he gave up and the pair laughed together. Kristoff ran a hand through his messy hair and sighed. "Alright, fine. I'll play along, but only because that was actually hilarious and part of me's hoping I'll get to see him cry. So here's what's gonna happen." He straightened up and puffed out his chest. "_I'll _go play football with the beef head. _You,_" he flicked Anna's forehead. "Go take your lady friend out for coffee."

Anna frowned. "Why?"

"Get her to spill why they broke up in the first place, duh."

"…Oh." Anna's brow furrowed as she realized that she'd never actually bothered asking Meg why her and Hercules had broken up. For all she knew, Meg could have still liked him.

_Wow, I'm a poopy friend._

She pulled out her phone and gave Kristoff a mock salute. "Aye-aye, captain!" And she ran off before Kristoff could reply, pulling up Meg's name in her contacts.

She pressed the phone to her ear after pressing 'call' and waited impatiently for her friend to pick up as she made her way out into the parking lot. She grinned when Meg picked up.

"Gingersnap? What's up? Please tell me you aren't _actually _in need of a prosthetic leg."

"Nope, not today. But I am in need of hot chocolate. Are you busy?"

"Never too busy for you, short stuff."

Anna giggled, pushing through the school doors and out into the sunlight. It was May now, the end of spring. Summer would be on its way soon. And it was utterly gorgeous outside, the sun bright and the sky blue. The grass was finally green again, too. Real green, not that yellowed, nasty brown-green winter grass always was.

"Good, did you leave yet? I know you like to skip last period sometimes. I can come pick you up if you want."

"You know, I don't think I've ever actually been in your car before. Please tell me you know how to drive, and then _pretty _please tell me you're not going to make me listen to pop music."

"Hey!" Anna shouted indignantly. "I'm a good driver! And there's nothing wrong with pop music!"

She heard Meg laughing on the other end. "Whatever, Gingersnap. I'll text you my address. Call me when you're outside."

When Kristoff finally made it out onto the football field, he found Hercules sitting up in the bleachers with his back slumped and head down. His hands were folded in front of him and he looked about as pathetic as Anna had described him to be.

The blonde frowned and scratched his head as he approached. He glanced to the football by Hercules' side and cleared his throat. "Yo. I'm here." Hercules looked up, surprised. Something in his eyes made Kristoff wonder if Hercules had actually expected him to show up.

When Hercules remained silent, Kristoff nodded to the football. "Toss it."

Hercules glanced down and nodded to himself, grabbing the ball as he stood up. He gave an underhanded toss and Kristoff caught it no problem. As Hercules descended onto the field Kristoff rolled the ball between his hands. A smile curled at his lips.

Anna had been right, he _had_ missed throwing. Hans had taught Anna how to throw, but she could never throw it very far and wasn't exactly all that good at catching. The ball always seemed to slip out of her hands and even though it was entertaining, throwing with Hans had always been more of a challenge and a lot more fun.

"I'm surprised you came."

Kristoff looked up and saw Hercules facing him, eyes hard. Kristoff's gaze didn't waver however. Hercules didn't scare him. If anything, Hercules made him angry. He knew for a fact that the other boy was one of Anna's main antagonists. He always seemed to be the one that went out of his way to bother Anna, like it was his job and he had something to prove.

"You asked me to," Kristoff replied, voice clipped. "But I only came because Anna asked too."

Before Hercules could reply he cocked his arm back and threw, drilling it right at the boy. Blue eyes widened in surprise and for a split second Kristoff thought he would try for it, but he grinned in satisfaction when Hercules side-stepped and the ball went flying past him.

"Well damn. Who'd have thought reindeer-boy had an arm." Hercules glared at him from over his shoulder as he went to retrieve the ball.

Kristoff frowned and shouted in reply, "It's _because _I'm a reindeer boy that I have an arm. I actually use these guns for something useful, and I don't have to spend eight hours in a sweaty gym with a bunch of other guys in tight pants either."

Hercules had been leaning over to pick up the ball, but Kristoff's words made him pause. He was silent for a moment before his shoulders lifted with a great sigh. He picked up the ball and turned around, tossing it up absentmindedly in the air. "…how do you two do that?"

"Do what?" Kristoff asked, eyes suspicious.

"You and Meg are a lot alike. You don't give a crap about what other people in this school think. And when they try to make fun of you for it, you turn their insults into compliments." A gentle smile spread across Hercules' face, and his eyes grew distant. "Meg used to play this game where she'd give herself points for every insult thrown her way, and if she could make the offender eat their words she'd take points away. If she ended up in the negatives she considered that day a win."

Hercules shook his head with a chuckle before his arm came up and the football was thrown. Kristoff let it come to him, cradling it with his arms as he caught it with no difficulty.

"I remember this one time one of the cheerleaders tried to make fun of her bike and she goes, I swear, word for word she said 'Better one bike than half the football team,' and God, I swear I thought the girl's head was going to explode!"

Kristoff snorted in amusement and threw the ball back. The pair was silent for a while and Kristoff watched as the smile slowly faded from Hercules' face, his features growing sad once again. He caught the ball once more, but he didn't throw it back this time.

"…how did I end up the bad guy?" And even though his question seemed genuine, something in Hercules' tone told Kristoff that he already, albeit partially, knew the answer.

So this was where Kristoff was supposed to help. He crossed his arms. "How do you think?"

Hercules frowned, shaking his head from side to side. "I don't know. Everything was great last year. Meg and I were happy, I wasn't always angry, and people didn't hate me. Teased me yeah, but... whatever. Meg… Meg said that-"

"Don't rely on Meg's common sense," Kristoff interrupted firmly, his voice hard. "If you don't like the way things are, it's your job to figure out what's wrong. And then, it's your job to fix them. It's not Meg's, and it's not mine. Toss it."

Hercules did as he was told, though he was glaring at Kristoff from across the field. Kristoff ignored it, and continued on once the ball was in his hands. "Anna and I didn't know you when you weren't a jerk. You only appeared in our lives after Hans. And you weren't a welcome addition."

"Look, I know I haven't exactly been Prince Charming but-"

Once again he was interrupted, with a football to the gut. He hadn't been expecting the throw, and the force behind it was staggering, but he held onto it even as pain flared in his abdomen.

"You ganged and the other guys ganged up on a 16 year old girl half your size and made fun of her, threatened her, and went out of your way to make her life difficult when things we're _already_ difficult enough for her. Do you have any idea how hard these last few months have been on her?"

"Hard on _her_?!" Hercules shouted in disbelief, eyes angry. "In these last few months I've lost my girlfriend, our school championship, and two of my teammates. You know they aren't coming back to school this year, right? _Any_ of them. Hans beat them so bad that not one of them left the hospital for a week! Eric was a senior! He needed this season to get noticed by scouts so he could get a scholarship and _afford_ to go to college! Shang was in a _coma_ for two days, because _her _brother bashed his head against a wall!"

"Yes, hard on _her," _Kristoff growled protectively. "Anna didn't lay a hand on your teammates. Blaming her for what her brother did is cruel and you know it! Because of what happened she lost the only family member she had left. Her parents _died_ when she was just a kid. Her and Hans grew up alone. They meant everything to each other. When Hans went to the institution, Anna was scared. She had to stay at my house for a week because she was terrified of going back to their apartment _alone. _Without her brother."

Hercules' eyes were wide. He'd clearly had no idea. But Kristoff wasn't done yet. He began to approach the older boy, eyes threatening. "She stayed out of school for a few days because she was terrified of _that_ too. Do you have any idea how hard it was to convince her to go back? And when she finally did, the very first day she came back, you and all your other friends threatened to not only kick the shit out of Hans, but her too. Remember that, _Jerkules?"_

Hercules' cheeks burned, and he looked away. When Kristoff saw the denial in his eyes he bared his teeth in a snarl and shoved Hercules backwards. Hercules stumbled but stayed upright.

"And not a day went by without a threatening glance, a vicious note in her locker, or some idiot prank by those floozies in those ridiculous skirts that trail after you morons like flies after my buddy Sven." Kristoff shoved him once again and this time Hercules did fall, tripping over his own feet and hitting the ground hard. "Do you think she deserved _any_ of that? Was what Hans did in any way her fault? If you actually used your brain you'll remember that she always used to cheer you guys on at _every _football game, even in the winter when it was freezing or even if she had a whole load of homework to get through when she finally made it home. She always helped with your fundraisers, and even offered to be water girl for you guys. The only reason she wasn't was because Hans wanted her up in the stands, cheering."

Kristoff glared down at the boy sprawled out before him, hands clenched into fists at his side. Hercules laid limp on the ground, shame overcoming him as he remembered. He hadn't really known Anna before the incident, had never paid her any mind. Granted, that was around the time he and Meg had started having problems, so that might have been the reason.

Was it true? Had the team always meant that much to her? Had she really gone out of her way to be there for them? For her brother?

…and afterwards, had she really felt like he did? Alone? Scared?

Kristoff leaned down and grabbed a fistful of Hercules' collar. "You've been an asshole. Get over it. Figure out how to make it right, and maybe you'll get your girlfriend back. If not then hey, maybe you'll at least get some good karma going." He yanked upwards, and Hercules was lifted halfway off the ground, Kristoff's face close to his own. Again, Hercules was surprised by the younger boy's strength.

"Anna asked me to help, so I'll give you a hint. Try, put that tiny brain to work, and try to imagine how Anna felt. Every day when you teased her. Try to imagine what it feels like to be terrified of going to school, and of going home. Remember how you felt when you lost Meg? How do you think Anna felt when she lost Hans? Try and _feel_ for a change, like a normal human being."

They stared at each other for a moment more before Kristoff let go of him. Hercules fell back against the grass with a huff, the football rolling out of his grasp. He heard footsteps and knew that Kristoff was walking away.

_Terrified, huh?_

Hercules looked up at the sky, and spread his arms out at his sides. He watched the clouds go by, head swimming with all the new information and perspective thrust upon him.

He'd had no idea the Christians were orphaned. Hans had never said anything. Granted, Hans had never talked about his personal life much. He never fancied any girls, and even though he went to parties all he ever really did was play beer pong and mix drinks for people. Even though he was charming, he was never all that social.

And outside of the teasing and the bullying, Hercules knew next to nothing about Anna. She was a firecracker, that much was obvious. But that was about as far as his knowledge extended.

_Terrified of going to school, terrified of being alone…_

An image flashed through his mind: his father, standing over him… belt in hand. Despite the heaviness in his heart, Hercules began to laugh. He threw an arm over his eyes to hide the water collecting in their corners as he continued to chuckle, the self-deprecation clear in the way his forehead creased, in the way his hands curled into fists.

_Yeah. I know all about that._

A waitress brought their drinks and Anna let out a quiet 'Yes!' as she dragged her hot chocolate towards herself. Meg chuckled from across the table as she sipped at her iced green tea. "You know it's hot out, right Gingersnap?"

"So? People eat ice cream in winter, don't they?"

Meg cocked a brow and finished her sip before putting the cup back down. "True. So. What's up? Usually I'm the one that has to drag you out for coffee dates. What prompted this sudden burst of forwardness?"

Anna grinned mischievously. "What? Can't I just invite you out for coffee like a normal friend, without any ulterior motive?"

Meg grinned right back. "Of course you can. One thing you _can't_ do however, is lie. So, Gingersnap," she leaned forward, crossing her arms on the table top. "Do you have an ulterior motive here?"

Anna bit her lip, nervous. Of course Meg would see right through her. She shouldn't have been in such a hurry… she could have at least waited until she'd gotten home. "Uh…"

"Don't you try and lie to me now, we both know you're no good at it."

Anna huffed, sipping at her hot chocolate and taking a big lick of whipped cream right off the top. "You're no fun. Yes, I have an ulterior motive. I, um… actually wanted to ask you something."

Meg froze. "And…" she paused to prop her elbows up on the table and carefully lace her fingers together, "What would that be?"

Anna took another lick of whipped cream before boldly stating, "I wanted to ask you about Hercules."

Meg's eyes immediately narrowed. "I'm sorry, _what?" _The words came out in a tumble, rushed and slightly high-pitched. Why the hell was Anna asking her about Wonder Boy of all people? That had been pretty much the _last _thing she would have expected. But then a thought occurred to her, an unpleasant thought. "He hasn't been bothering you again, has he? Because I swear if he has I'll-"

"No, no, don't worry about that. He hasn't been bothering me. I just um… well, I-I was wondering if you'd tell me about him. I mean, like… why you guys broke up." When Meg just stared at her in disbelief Anna shrugged, a shy smile on her face. "I realized today that I never really ask about how _you're _doing, or what's been going on in _your_ life. I figured today was as good a day as any to start."

Meg was silent, weighing the possible truth of this in her head. She'd said it herself only minutes ago: Gingersnap was a terrible liar. And everything she'd said sounded genuine. So, maybe the younger girl really just _was _curious.

_It's not like she doesn't have the right to be, I mean I did used to date one of the boys who's been making life difficult for her since her brother, well… did what he did. Then again, I _did _tell Herc to cool it… and if Anna says he hasn't been bothering her lately then maybe…_

…_no. We're not doing this now._

Meg took another sip of her tea before settling back into her chair. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in before letting it out in an irritated sigh.

"Wonder Boy and I dated for about a year. When I first met him, he was a dork. He didn't play football, wasn't a meat head, and he was actually a sweetheart. He actually used to be a bookworm, loved Greek mythology and the long stories about the heroes like Perseus and Theseus. That's actually how we met; I was skipping class and I found him buried nose-deep in a book."

She paused to smile, reminiscing. "He was always so nervous around me. Always stuttering, apologizing if our hands ever accidentally touched. I… kinda liked how honest he was. He was cute too, even back then before all the muscles. And he was a gentleman. He was always holding doors for me, offering to carry my books even though he had practically _no _upper-body strength. It was adorable. It was like that for most of my junior year, his sophomore year. It was sweet, and easy and honest."

Her smile broke when the unpleasant memories started to come back.

"But something happened over the summer. Something family-related. All of a sudden, he was missing dates and canceling on me and we barely saw each other. He never even told me why. And when school started back up again, he was almost unrecognizable. Now, don't get me wrong, I'll never say no to muscles but… it was weird, seeing him like that for the first time. I mean, I saw the slight changes over the summer; his shoulders would seem slightly broader, his arms less, well… twiggy. But when I saw him at school on the first day, a poster boy for Muscle Milk, and he acted like nothing was different, it threw me for a loop."

"So… wait. He just decided to spend his summer at the gym instead of with his girlfriend?"

Meg nodded, her eyes distant. "Mm-hm. And then he told me he was trying out for the football team."

When Meg was silent, Anna ducked down to try and meet her friend's gaze. "And… that's… bad?"

Meg blinked in surprise. "No, no it's not that it was bad. I just… he'd never once expressed any interest in football. Ever. And honestly I never really liked any of the guys on the team. Your brother was alright, kept himself out of trouble. But… Herc wouldn't listen to me. He just kept saying 'I have to,' and he never answered any of my questions. Which wasn't like him."

Anna nodded, fingers drumming on her hot chocolate mug. "So… where's the part where he turns into a jerk?"

Meg chuckled sardonically. "Right about then, actually. He made it onto the team no problem, and after that things were back to being great. For a while. But then all of a sudden the people who'd made fun of him started treating him like a long-lost brother… and it started to go to his head. He forgot who he was. He forgot that he used to be one of the kids he was now antagonizing. He became the person that he'd come crying to me about before that summer."

Meg sighed, hands clenching so hard that her knuckles were white. "But that wasn't what bothered me the most. That wasn't really what broke us up. I broke up with him because… because he shut down. Emotionally. I tried to find out what was wrong, I tried to help him talk about it because I _know _him, and I know that there was something he wasn't telling me. But he kept acting like everything was fine, told me to stop being ridiculous."

Anna frowned. It was weird, how well she understood. Understood _both _of them, actually. Now she was curious. She reached out and laid a hand on top of Meg's, and smiled when Meg glanced up at her. She rubbed her thumb against Meg's warm skin, comfortingly.

"Maybe he's just scared. I know how that feels."

Meg's eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me you're defending him. He's been an ass to you!"

Anna shrugged. "I know."

_Doesn't mean he's hopeless._

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys, sorry about the wait. Life was a bit tricky for a while, had a lot of shit happen and the words stopped flowing so I had to take a break. I'm back into it now though, so don't worry. And thanks for being patient :)<strong>

**I personally enjoyed writing this chapter a lot; I know that because there's barely any Elsa some of you might be disappointed but I really wanted to explore the similarities between Herc and Anna, and even Meg and Kristoff. I personally see a lot of parallels between their dynamics. So it was a lot of fun to explore them in such a different setting.**

**As always, love you all!**

**-Cel**


	25. Chapter 25

"So wait… Elsa _kissed _you?"

"No, you idiot, _I _kissed _her!_ What am I gonna do?!" Anna whispered fiercely as she pushed the grocery cart past the veggie-green walls of the produce section. She cast a shifty glance towards the shelves filled with all the things she hated: broccoli, asparagus, and… _Oh my God I didn't know they _made _Brussels sprouts that big!_

Anna stuck out her tongue in disgust and tried to push the cart forward past the vegetables, but a hand caught the hood of her sweatshirt and pulled her back. "Nuh-uh, feisty pants. I know what you're doing." Anna winced, turning her guilty eyes to look over her shoulder at Kristoff, who was keeping her place with a smirk curling his lips. "Wittle Anna needs her veggies!" he cooed in a ridiculous baby voice.

"Oh, lay off, Reindeer King!" She reached up and yanked her hood from Kristoff's grasp. "Just because _you_ actually enjoy shoveling roughage down that gob doesn't mean I do!"

"No, but it doesn't mean you can replace it with chocolate. You need to eat healthy, y'know. Otherwise you'll lose that girlish figure, and we can't have that. Who will Elsa have to kiss then?" Kristoff teased.

Freckled cheeks erupted into flame as the memory of the kiss came to the forefront of her mind. Anna shoved her hands into the pocket of her sweatshirt and buried her nose in its thick hooded collar. She mumbled out a half-hearted 'Shut up,' but otherwise remained oddly quiet. When that was all she did Kristoff glanced at her, forehead creased with worry. That wasn't the reaction he'd been expecting. Normally, when Anna was teased she either got loud or got snarky, sometimes both. Quiet was not something he associated with the short redhead.

He actually sometimes wondered to himself if there was any Italian blood hiding in Anna's veins. That was the old stereotype after all: if there's shouting you're fine. If there's silence? You're in trouble.

"Anna…" he reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder, but hesitated. At the last second he shied away and reached up to grab a bag of carrots instead. One of the few vegetables Anna could stomach. He placed them down carefully in the cart and drummed his fingers against the handlebar for a while, the silence between the two friends palpable and awkward. Just when he gathered the courage to break it, his mouth opening to blurt out some form of dopey, desperate change of subject, Anna groaned and rubbed at her eyes.

"What am I gonna do, Kris? I-I, I can't blame this on her… I kissed her._ I_ did. I initiated it. What does that mean? I-I mean, does that mean I like her? Like, _like _her like her? Well, _duh_, of course that means I like her like her… but it's not my fault! Have you _seen_ her? She's so pretty, and when she smiles I just…" Anna let out a long, bone-deep sigh, eyes sliding shut with resignation. "I wasn't even thinking when I did it, it just happened. Kris, I-I'm totally lost. I don't know what to think, or how I'm supposed to feel. This isn't exactly an ideal setup for a romance, but I-if I like her then, then… then that means I-"

"_Anna!_ Calm down." The redhead froze, eyes opening when she realized that Kristoff had gripped her shoulders and was trying to meet her eyes. His own were wide with concern, his mouth pulled down at the corners. "Not here. Let's finish getting your groceries, then we can head home. You can tell me all about it, and I promise not to be sarcastic, or mean, or yell. Alright?" He squeezed her shoulders gently for emphasis, and Anna reached up to lay a hand on one of his, squeezing back.

"…alright."

She said 'alright.' The acquiescence left her lips but the truth was Anna was anything but alright. Kristoff turned her around and gently pushed her forward, and she stumbled along beside him as he filled the cart with who-knows-what. Food most likely, but with the way Anna's brain was buzzing her best friend could have been putting live rodents into her cart and she wouldn't have noticed until one crawled up her pant leg on the drive home.

With things as they were though, what with her sleep-deprived brain and emotional exhaustion, Anna Christian was currently nothing short of a zombie.

Once Anna had left Meg's wonderfully distracting company just about an hour ago, there was nothing left to keep the image of Elsa's ecstatic smile at bay. Her head had begun to pound with painful ferocity as the thoughts swirled around in a relentless circle through her mind: memories of the kiss, of the unadulterated joy in Elsa's bright blue eyes… joy that Anna was responsible for. Joy that Anna wasn't sure she _could _be responsible for. She could barely remember to eat three meals a day, how could she ever be responsible for…

…_for something that pure?_

The way Elsa had looked at her when they pulled apart had done things to her she'd never read about in any cheesy romance book before. There was warmth sure, uncomfortable but beautiful warmth blooming in her stomach like ivy as it curled its way down through to the tips of her toes. She'd felt weightless, lights on the balls of her feet with only Elsa's gentle fingers on her jaw keeping her grounded. Elsa's fingers… and her own heart. Her own heart, heavy and cold in her chest. It hurt, the pain registering somewhere numbly in the back of her mind, and that part of her knew things Anna didn't want to voice.

_Elsa's in a mental institute. _

_Elsa doesn't speak. _

_She's not well. She's not crazy, but this isn't something I can do by myself. I can't put a Band-aid on it and fix it._

_I can't magically make her better._

They shouldn't have kissed. Anna shouldn't have kissed her. She _knew _it (though in her defense it is _hindsight_ that's always 20/20 and Elsa _was_ way too pretty for her own good), and she'd done it anyway. Kristoff, even Meg had both warned her that this was going to happen. While she was sure neither had been expecting this kind of situation the result was the same: Anna was now responsible for Elsa's happiness. Her actions had a direct and powerful influence over Elsa's emotional wellbeing, which was a burden she was almost positive she would not be able to carry on her already-weary shoulders.

And what made it worse were Anna's own feelings.

It was true that Anna was no love expert, she was in fact pretty much the opposite. She had no idea what love was, had never experienced it for herself. She'd been far too young when her parents died for there to be any residual memories of affection between the two, and Hans had never brought a girlfriend home. The only successful relationship she'd seen was between her cousin Rapunzel (who she still had to call to explain what had happened after they'd parted ways at the dance), and her boyfriend Eugene. Watching them gave her a template to work off of: witty banter, affectionate glances, lots of smiling, and selfless action to ensure the happiness of your partner.

But it was confusing for her, because that was pretty much the relationship she had with Kristoff. The only thing their relationship lacked was the physicality, the kissing and junk. True, she'd never once had the desire to kiss Kristoff, but Rapunzel always said that when she first met Eugene she'd felt the same way.

Not that Anna could blame her. After all, when Rapunzel and Eugene had first met he introduced himself as 'Flynn Rider,' as if that could ever be a real name. It wasn't until they got to know each other and Eugene realized what a weirdo, quit the act, and started acting like himself that the attraction came.

Anna knew almost everything about Kristoff, and vice versa. The attraction still wasn't there though, so for a while Anna had been scared that she was incapable of love.

After this weekend however, those fears were now called into question. She had wanted to kiss Elsa, very much so. Seeing Elsa in that beautiful red dress had made her entire body uncomfortably warm, and when Elsa had initiated their second kiss with a smile Anna could feel when their lips pressed together, the redhead's fingers had itched to reach out and touch. There was no way she could deny the attraction.

But from what she'd read in books and heard whenever her ears caught wind of high school gossip, attraction and feelings were two different things. You could be attracted to someone and not care about their feelings, which was definitely unfortunate if the person you were attracted to ended up having feelings for _you._

Anna was terrified that she was in that situation.

She cared about Elsa, that was absolutely true. Anna loved making her smile, and hated to see her sad. Seeing Elsa cry made her feel like crying right along with her, and the thought of never seeing her again (God forbid something happened to make Elsa hate her, or if the institute refuse to let Anna see her), seemed like an impossibility.

_But is that love? I feel that way about a lot of people. I'd be sad to see Ariel or even Vanessa crying in the hallway. Well… maybe not Vanessa. She is kind of a bitch. _

Anna sighed once more, shoving her hands into the pocket of her sweatshirt as she plodded along with her head down, oblivious to Kristoff's sad eyes watching her every move.

_If love is supposed to be the best thing in the world why does it have to be so hard?_

Later when the pair had finished with their grocery shopping and put everything away, Kristoff dialed the nearest fast-food pizza joint and ordered their usual for a typical Kristanna pow-wow session: an extra-large Meat Lover's and Cinna-stix for dessert with extra icing on the side. While he took care of the food, Anna sat in front of the PlayStation 3, flipping through a CD holder which contained all of her brother's favorite games.

She needed a night to remind herself of the good old days, before Hans had been institutionalized, and before Elsa had smiled and blushed her way into Anna's heart.

With everything that had happened in the past few weeks, Anna needed a night to feel normal again.

"I've got the order tracker thing on my phone; _Anthony_ popped our order into the oven at exactly 7:41 pm. Should be here in about half an hour." Anna bobbed her head in response, not bothering to look up as she felt Kristoff plop down beside her. He leaned over her shoulder to see what she was doing. "Whatcha looking for?"

Anna hummed, not quite sure how to respond. Most of the CDs had graphics on them that were either off-putting or confusing: one was blood red with a particularly unattractive, dirty-looking man pointing a gun out at the viewer, and another was completely black with only a dragon and the word 'Skyrim' written across it.

How was she supposed to tell which one would actually be fun to play? She'd never bothered to ask Hans the names of the games she'd thought were interesting, he didn't like being distracted when he played.

Kristoff watched her curiously for a few moments before plucking the CD holder from her grasp, ignoring her indignant 'Hey!' as he began to flip through it. "If you wanted a suggestion, you should have just asked." Anna snorted in response and crossed her arms. Kristoff spared her an amused glance before squinting down at the game console. "Hmm… this is the original model, right? The one that's backward compatible?"

"Uh…"

"Let me answer that: it is. So here, we're gonna go a little old school." He plucked a disc from the case and Anna cocked her head at the sight of a particularly attractive blonde boy holding what looked like a sword made out of water. He turned the system on and slid the disc in. "The best Final Fantasy game they ever made, in my opinion… even if Tidus' voice actor was really annoying at some points."

Anna sent him a look that was halfway between insanely curious and mildly irritated. "You realize I have no idea what you're talking about, right?"

He only smiled at her, ruffling her hair before handing her a controller. "That's why you're gonna learn, goof. Now pay attention," he paused to check his phone, "Anthony here says the pizza's done, so it'll be here soon. I figure you'll have enough time to get through the opening, which should get you hooked. If it doesn't, then we aren't friends anymore."

Anna's forehead scrunched up in response, lower lip jutting out in a pout. "Gee, thanks!"

It turned out that she didn't have anything to worry about; when the pizza finally arrived Kristoff had to pry the controller from Anna's hands. The opening sequence had been so cool, even if Anna didn't understand how the characters were playing what could only be described as underwater rugby without drowning. The turn-by-turn gameplay was easy for her to pick up, and Kristoff had watched on, amused when she let out a victorious cry whenever the characters sliced through their enemies.

"_Ha!_ Take that, you stupid thing! Who cares if your wings glow? Not me!"

"Alright, enough, feisty pants! The food's here and I know you're hungry. Don't let the game pull you in, or else trust me when I say you'll be at Macalania before you know it!"

"I still don't know what that means," Anna giggled as the pretty blonde boy finally sliced through the weird machine-looking object the old man had told him to attack. When she saw the structure catch fire and fall into what must have been oil, the following explosion had her grinning like a maniac. "Did you see that?!"

Kristoff ran a hand through his hair, smiling affectionately. He sighed and leaned down to take the controller from her hands, wincing when she beat at his arms in a futile attempt to get it back. He stood up and ran the character to the nearest save point, saving Anna's game before turning the system off. "Food time, feisty pants. You can play later."

Anna rolled her eyes and grumbled but did stand up. "Fine. But I get to pick the first slice!"

Without waiting for confirmation she rushed into the pizza and grabbed two plates, one for herself and one for Kristoff. She raised the top of the pizza box and her mouth began to water at the sight of the cheesy beauty staring back at her. She regarded the pie for a moment before plucking the piece with the most pepperoni. "We got soda, right?"

"Yeah, in the fridge," Kristoff murmured distractedly as he fiddled with the TV. "You wanna watch a movie while we eat? Or is that just gonna distract you?"

"Distwact me fwom what?" Anna had eaten halfway through her slice, and when she spoke it was hard to understand what with the mouthful of melted cheese practically hanging out of her mouth.

"Distract you from telling me about Elsa," Kristoff deadpanned. "But I can see that the video game has already done that." He sighed and stood, putting his hands on his hips. "Well… you're not getting out of it. You're going to tell me what happened, and we're going to figure this out. You told me yourself: you're in too deep. Now, I promise I'm not going to judge you, or yell at you. I'm your homie and, like your old pal Finn says, 'homies help homies.' I may not know this Elsa girl, but I don't want her getting hurt either. I wanna hear, from the top, everything that happened this weekend."

Anna remained silent, but Kristoff could practically see the gravity of her situation pushing back down upon her once again. He could see it in the way her shoulders tensed, the way the light in her eyes dimmed. She swallowed her mouthful and nodded once, meekly.

"Okay…" she said.

Her voice was weak.

* * *

><p>Elsa was bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waited for Gerda to open the door to the visitor's lounge. It was finally Wednesday, finally time for her to see Anna.<p>

She didn't see the worried lines that marred the old woman's normally soft features. In her excitement she didn't realize that Gerda had paused before opening the door, and when she did Elsa brushed straight past her. She missed the way Gerda had reached out to pull her back.

(There was no way she could have known of the call Gerda had received from Mr. Oaken upon Anna's arrival… a call detailing Anna's tired eyes and restless body language.)

When the blonde stepped into the lounge her eyes immediately darted around the room, looking for that familiar flash of copper. She found it seated at one of the tables; Anna's back was facing her. A sneaky grin spread across pink lips and Elsa began to creep across the room, making sure to be as quiet as possible. Why Anna might have been facing _away_ from her was never called into question.

Soon enough she was within striking distance. Elsa stepped right up behind the redhead's chair and gently clapped her hands over the younger girl's eyes. Anna squeaked and jumped in her seat, hands immediately flying up to grasp at Elsa's. The blonde tried to fight back the ear-to-ear grin that threatened to break free; her cheeks were extremely sore from having already spent the last two days smiling.

"Elsa? Is that you?" Anna's hands began to slide their way up Elsa's arms, patting at the soft material of her blue sweater. "Hm… I'm definitely feeling some blue sweater, and here," her fingers blindly poked at Elsa's cheeks, "are some chubby round cheeks." When Anna pinched one cheek and gave it a gentle tug Elsa's grin finally broke free. She shook her head wildly, forcing Anna to relinquish her hold. Anna's wandering hands only continued upward, and when they threaded their way through her bangs Elsa felt a pleasant shiver travel down her spine, and she leaned down to press her nose to Anna's hair.

She could hear the smile in Anna's voice when she spoke.

"Yep, that's my Elsa alright."

Heat bloomed in Elsa's cheeks and her body shuddered again. She pulled back and drew her hands away from Anna's eyes, letting them fall instead to her shoulders. Anna tilted her head back to meet Elsa's gaze and the blonde was pleased to see the gentle curl of the redhead's lips. But her brows immediately drew together in concern when she took in the pallor of Anna's skin, the dark circles under her eyes. Her hands returned to Anna's face, this time cupping freckled cheeks as Elsa stared deep into Anna's tired eyes.

_Anna… what's wrong? _

Elsa instantly feared the worst: that _she _was the cause of Anna's discomfort. Despite her joy over having finally kissed the other girl, she hadn't been blind to the way Anna had left in a nervous rush. At the time she was too busy floating on Cloud 9 to even imagine that Anna would regret her actions. Originally she'd chalked up Anna's stuttering and discomfort to simple nervousness, but the creeping fear that Anna had never wanted the kiss was there in the back of her mind.

And now that she was seeing Anna's disheveled appearance, that niggling fear was now at the forefront of her mind.

But, just as she always managed to do, Anna assuaged her fears almost instantly. "Don't worry Elsa, I know I look like crap, I'm just tired. I was up really late these past two nights catching up on homework." Anna smiled up at her, and reached up to hold one of Elsa's hands against her cheek. "I'm fine."

Elsa brushed Anna's bangs away from her face with her free hand, eyes still showing quiet concern. The redhead glanced away for a moment, cheeks reddening ever so slightly. Elsa cocked her head, one pale strand of blonde falling into her eyes. When she reached up to brush put it back in place, she felt warm lips press against the center of her palm. Her eyes flew wide open and she looked down to see Anna's eyes closed, her head turned to give Elsa's hand a gentle kiss.

When she pulled away her eye's opened back up, and though her eyes were no less tired Elsa believed her when she said, "I'll be alright."

The two stared at each other for a while before a loud voice broke the silence.

"Anna! Who that?"

Elsa's head snapped up and met the eyes of a dark-haired little boy. He was seated next to Anna, a bright blue crayon clutched in his hand. He was staring at her blankly, round cheeks pudgy and pale.

He'd been so quiet Elsa hadn't even noticed his presence.

When the little boy blinked, Elsa quickly ducked her head and her eyes fell upon several pieces of paper, all scribbled upon, presumably by the little boy himself.

"Olaf, this is Elsa. She's a very good friend of mine, so say hi."

His response was immediate, though shy and somewhat monotone. "Hi Elsa..." But his following question was spoken in a much louder, curious tone. "Why she no talk?"

Elsa frowned and withdrew her hand from Anna's skin, folding her arms across her stomach. Anna noticed and frowned, glancing up over her shoulder at her with concern clear in her eyes. "Because, Olaf… she's very shy." Elsa's arms only tightened, squeezing firmly against her torso as she looked away from their table. "And she's scared, but that's okay. Because we all get scared sometimes, and there's nothing wrong with that." Surprised, Elsa looked back up to see Anna standing, facing her with a hand outstretched. "Isn't that right, Elsa?"

The smile on Anna's face was confident but gentle.

It was in that moment that Elsa wondered if Anna truly was an angel, sent to her from Heaven.

_She has so much faith in me, faith that not even my own parents seem to have anymore. She does so much just to keep me happy, and what do I do? Take the attention, take the affection… and every Wednesday she goes home alone. And she does it all with a smile._

Elsa's eyes narrowed. How could she show Anna how much she appreciated all that the redhead did for her? How could she prove that she was an active, attentive, caring partner in this relationship?

_She's exhausted right now. And yet she still drove over here, to see me. And she'll have to drive home too…_

An idea struck her.

Elsa reached out and took Anna's hand. When Anna smiled Elsa smiled right back. She gave Anna's hand a tug and led the other girl over to the couch. Anna gave no resistance, pausing only to say goodbye to Olaf. When Elsa sat down, turned her torso and stretched one leg across the couch the redhead's eyes grew confused. Elsa only grinned and gave her hand another tug, patting the spot between her legs.

Understanding flashed in turquoise orbs and Anna flushed, stuttering out a polite refusal. Elsa only sighed and pressed her lips to Anna's knuckles, staring up at her angel with a pleading look in her eyes. The pair had a silent argument with their eyes before Anna's cheeks darkened and she gave a shaky nod. Elsa smiled and when she sat down gingerly upon the couch cushion the blonde had to help Anna situate herself the way Elsa wanted her.

She reached out to wrap a hand around the back of Anna's neck, guiding her down as Elsa's other leg came up onto the couch to trap the redhead's body. When Anna's head was nestled against the curve of her neck Elsa let out a content sigh. The pair of them were now laying on the couch, Anna using Elsa as a full body pillow, cradled between Elsa's legs. Both girls were wonderfully warm, though Elsa could feel the blush searing through Anna's skin. The redhead was still stiff too, unfortunately, and Elsa could not think of a way to get her to relax.

"Thanks for making this easy, Elsa." Elsa's ears perked at the sound of Anna's voice. It was weak, and Elsa could hear the fatigue lacing every word. "You know, I came here expecting to have a serious conversation with you. About this weekend, the kiss… where we stand. Because I… I don't know what we're gonna do. And I'm really kinda scared." Elsa's grip tightened around Anna's waist (her arms had locked around the smaller girl's body the moment they'd laid down). Anna sighed deeply. "But now that I'm here, the only thing that keeps coming to mind is that I forgot your truffle, and I feel horrible."

Anna almost sounded like she was going to cry. Elsa screwed her eyes shut and pressed a firm kiss to Anna's hair. When she pulled back she replaced her lips with her cheek, resting her head as her heart clenched at the thought of Anna beating herself up for something so little.

Didn't she know that it wasn't the chocolate that Elsa cared about, but Anna herself? Anna, the beautiful, wonderful girl that she'd do anything for?

_Anna… you're so silly. _Elsa threaded her fingers through messy red locks, wishing she could sing or even just hum a lullaby. _Don't worry about me, Anna. Just rest, please. You've earned it._

As she continued to stroke Anna's hair she did in fact feel the body on top of hers lose its stiffness, and she gaze a lazy grin of triumph when Anna finally seemed to settle into place. She pressed herself against Elsa, one hand grabbing a fistful of the blonde's sweater as she let out a comfortable sigh.

"Kristoff and I prepared a whole speech, y'know? About boundaries… and expect… expectations. And now I can barely remember any of it. How dare you use the fact that you make a great pillow against me… so not cool." Anna's words were becoming murmurs. Elsa could sense her drifting off into dreamland, and hoped that her dreams would be pleasant. "There is one thing I remember though."

Elsa blinked once, fingers curling into the material of Anna's shirt. Anna's eyes opened slightly, blurred with fatigue but serious as anything.

"…I want to hear your voice."

And with that last thought, Anna finally let sleep take her. Elsa could only hold her close, her hands clammy, heart thundering in her chest.

* * *

><p><strong>I think I'm gonna take a break from ANs for a while and just write the story, because even though most of you are incredibly sweet if I have to deal with more reviews like this:<strong>

_**'You know there's this thing called updating that a lot of us like... u should try it sometime... its been over a month... so yea... f*ng update the d**nstory... we are all waiting for u to... plz just hurry... we gotta know how this ends...'**_

_**'This is so gonna end up like r9k elsa'**_

_**'MAKE AN UPDATE ITS BEEN OVER A MONTH! ! ! ! !'**_

_**'Updates take so long I forget what the story is even about'**_

**Then I might just stop caring altogether. **

**If you people don't like what I'm writing, or can't deal with my updating schedule here's an idea: write your own fucking story.**

**-Cel**


	26. Chapter 26

_If I have to sit through one more of those _fucking_ therapy sessions I'm going to kill someone. Preferably Weaselton, that would solve the problem altogether._

Sweat trickled down Hans' face as he finished his fifth set of crunches, abdominal muscles burning as they contracted. The cold linoleum floor was a relief to the bare skin of his back every time he came down from a crunch and he fought to keep his breathing steady.

_The man's a goddamn moron, and annoying as fuck. All that bullshit about meditation and anger management and the rest of that hippy-dippy crap never fails to drive me up the goddamn wall! And would it kill him to pop a breath mint every now and then?_

As his mental count hit '50' Hans thumped back against the floor with an aggravated groan, unlocking his hands from where they rested against the back of his head. He brushed the hair back from his face, only mildly bothered by the sweat that lined his forehead. Green eyes opened into a harsh glare at the ceiling, brows drawn down in harsh lines, his features curled like a snarling animal's. All he was missing were the fangs and rumbling growl.

"Morons, all of them…" he muttered to himself before sighing and pushing himself into a sitting position. He crossed his arms over the peak his knees made, as his legs were still folded from his ab workout. Now his eyes rested on the floor, and in that moment he wished he was anywhere but in that room. He was so sick of always having to be so angry. He wanted to feel _normal _again, to be able to choose what he did and when he did it. He never thought he'd miss the ability to just _go _somewhere so much. Maybe outside enjoying the fresh air… it was going to be summer soon for crying out loud. If he wasn't locked up in here he could be outside right now, doing anything he wanted. Maybe at the gym, losing himself in whatever music he blasted out of his headphones while he drove each and every one of his muscles to their limits. Maybe at home, just relaxing in bed, or playing a video game.

Back at home… just spending time with Anna.

Hans' eyes screwed shut and the anger that marred his face was exchanged for pain and sorrow. He stood up quickly and crossed the room to his lumpy, uncomfortable hospital bed and picked up his t-shirt. He pulled it over his head, ignoring the way the fabric clung uncomfortably to his still sweat-dampened skin.

_They can't just fucking keep me locked up like this… it's not fair! They're acting like _I'm _the first person to break a nose in this goddamn nut house. I shouldn't even be in here… I'm nothing like the idiots they've got walled up in here. Half of them barely have a high-school education, and the ones that do are either too terrified of everything to even speak or they're too busy drooling all over themselves. It's disgusting._

Hans cracked his neck, grunting approvingly when tension left the area with an audible 'pop!' He glanced out the window and frowned, mildly frustrated with how the sun shined so brightly despite the fact that he physically couldn't be outside to appreciate it.

But then the thought of his sister entered his mind again and in an instant his shoulders were sinking and his eyes were growing misty.

_Anna… god, I can still see the look on her face. She was so scared._

They day he'd been pulled off Adam in the middle of the hallway, the other boy's blood practically painted on his knuckles and smeared across his face, the last thing Hans had expected to see was his sister. His sweet, loving, kind, _innocent_ little sister. He doubted she'd ever seen more blood than, well… actually biologically speaking he figured girls were supposed to be used to blood but still. Hans had seen the horror in her eyes, seen it in the way her face went ghostly-white and in the way her hands shook when she clasped them over her mouth in an effort to hold back them scream that wanted to escape.

The fact that his actions had been the direct cause of his sister's pain had driven him to the point of either furious self-hatred or crippling self-pity at one point almost every day since they'd taken away his visitation rights.

"But it's not my goddamn _fault!" _Hans roared as he twisted his torso and kicked the wall so hard his entire bed frame shook. "If that fucking piece of shit Adam had just kept his mouth shut then I wouldn't have had to-"

A tingling in his knuckles forced him to stop and look down at his hands. They were shaking, aching to do damage to something other than the four walls of his room. His face, a moment ago livid, turned neutral and contemplative. He watched as his hands continued to shake, flexing his fingers and feeling the motion travel up his arms. Arms that were supposed to keep Anna safe.

_Well they can't do that from in here, can they? Think, you moron. Where did your common sense go? Before that fight you were in control, you were always in control. Where did that go?_

A single brow arched cruelly, emerald green eyes maintaining their cutting sharpness even as their owner slowly lost himself to his thoughts.

_If anger is what got you in here, then you need to hide it. If what you want is to get out, to see Anna again, and to leave this goddamn place…_

_You need to be a model fucking prisoner. Jump when they say jump, smile when the Weasel cracks a joke, play nice with the psychos and take back your right to see Anna again._

_Can you manage that?_

His eyes closed and he breathed in deeply, so deep that he could feel the cold, ventilated air being pulled down into the pit of his stomach.

His hands were no longer shaking. Burning emerald had cleared and become the cool, slick scales of a snake, and Hans' entire being reflected said creature's cunning quiet. The anger and the muscle and the want to hurt were still there, burning under the surface, but if a good boy was what he needed to be, then a good little boy is what they would get.

He could pull it off. He could play prince charming. It'd be easy. Just like high school.

The psychos would have to be his classmates, the doctors and orderlies his administration.

And Anna? Well, Anna would always be Anna.

_The only thing I care about._

He stood then, and moved so he could once again look out the window. If he could have opened it, he'd be breathing in the sweet spring air, letting the chirping of birds relax him as the wind caressed his face.

Instead, he had to settle for pressing his forehead against the glass and trying to remember the way fresh air felt on his skin.

But when he opened his eyes, a flash of red hair made his heart leap up into his throat. His face twisted with confusion, eyes shining with bafflement as he pressed himself up against the glass as though that would somehow get him closer to the thing he desperately hoped he wasn't imagining.

"...Anna?"

It _was_ Anna. His sister. His beautiful, wonderful little sister and she was _smiling._ He didn't know why but she was _smiling._ Without even thinking about it his own mouth mirrored hers, lips splitting with the force of his grin, pristine white teeth exposed. Seeing Anna happy absolutely never failed to make him happy and for so long she'd always looked so tired… always so drawn and drained… seeing her smile was like walking through a patch of warm sunlight on a cloudy, miserable day. But after a moment the initial shock of seeing her gave way back into confusion.

As he watched his sister climb into her car one question consumed all his thoughts.

_Why is she here?_

He didn't have his visiting rights back yet, why had she come here? Was she here to beg to see him? Were they going to _let _her see him? Is that why she was so happy?

His heart began to race, the prospect of seeing his sister again so soon almost too great a joy to contain.

Just then the lock on his door clicked, and Hans whirled around to find Merriweather, one of the nurses who'd been assigned to bring him to and from meals, standing in the doorway. Her weathered, pudgy face was kind, but cautious. And why shouldn't she be? She'd seen him at his worst, after all. She knew how dangerous he could be.

(Part of him was infinitely proud of that thought.)

"Hello Hans," she said with a quiet smile, "are you ready for dinner?"

Normally, he would have scoffed, rolled his eyes, something to show his disagreement and displeasure with the situation. He was a grown man, and didn't need to be led to and from his meals. But he knew he needed to play nice, knew that he had to start small if he was going to get the staff back under his thumb, where he needed them to be.

"Sure thing, Mrs. Goodman. But first, um… could you maybe answer a question?"

The old woman regarded him for a moment, curiosity joining the caution that twinkled in her aging eyes. "Of course, dear. What is it?"

"You see, well…" his voice, childlike and tentative (a tone he'd mastered his Freshman year when addressing his teachers) wavered just enough to be believable as he turned back to the window. "I… I thought I saw my sister. I saw her car at least… has she been, um… has she been, back to the hospital recently? Or was that just another girl I saw?"

The old woman eyed him warily but remained silent, and he fought to keep his face neutral even as his patience stretched thin. Eventually though, she spoke. "Yes, Ms. Christian has been back to the facility. Only a handful of times."

_A handful? That means she's been back more than once… what's going on?_

On the outside his face remained only curious, but inside a multitude of cogs were turning in his head. "But… why? It's not about me, is it?"

Merriweather's eyes narrowed. "_You,_ my boy, should understand that you're not really in a position to ask questions. You will not be seeing your sister until you can show us you're willing to listen and take your therapy seriously." Hans allowed his eyes to water ever so slightly, shoulders sinking the perfect amount to demonstrate a hope being crushed, and he grinned internally when Merriweather grew uncomfortable, brushing imaginary dust from her skirt. The old woman cleared her throat. "...Your sister is a good influence on some of our shyer patients, Mr. Christian. You should know this." She said, finally. "She comes every now and then to spend time with them. You should be proud of her, you know. Your sister could very well one day pursue a job in this field, and go quite far."

_That _response led to more questions than answers… but Hans pretended to be pleased. It wasn't hard, he was already quite proud of his sister.

"I am proud of her. She's the kindest person I know." When the nurse smiled with him and nodded her head Hans cocked his own, this time unable to keep the slightest hint of jealousy from creeping into his gaze. "There was a little boy she was friends with… Olaf, right? Is it Olaf she's been visiting?"

"No dear, not Olaf. Well, not directly at least. You know the little rascal always likes to play in the visitor's lounge and ask people for hugs."

"Then… who? She doesn't know anyone else."

Merriweather chuckled, affection replacing the caution in her eyes as she seemed to recall a pleasant memory. "I think that Elsa would beg to differ, dear boy. Now come along, we're going to be late for dinner at this rate."

Hans' eyes widened and his mind raced, trying to understand who the nurse was referring to. He didn't know an Elsa… neither did Anna.

_Who the hell is Elsa? _The thought hissed through his mind.

Had his sister ever mentioned an Elsa? No, he didn't even recognize that name. He had to think this through logically. Had Anna ever expressed any interest in any of the other patients?

When Merriweather cleared her throat Hans jumped, jostled from his thoughts. Distracted but obedient, he trailed after her and left his room. He glanced back as Merriweather locked the door, but a noise from down the hall caught his attention. It was Fauna, one of the other nurses that Merriweather usually worked with. She must have been bringing another patient back from a visit or perhaps a different dinner block, because the door to a room was open and Hans just managed to catch a hint of blonde hair disappearing inside.

_Blonde…_

All of a sudden he understood.

He knew who Anna was seeing.

Anger made him numb to the sting of his fingernails biting into his palms, numb to the strain in his jaw as he grit his teeth.

_The Ice Queen. That's who Elsa is. The silent freak. That's who Anna's been visiting._

_The _one_ person I specifically told her _not_ to see._

Oh, he knew Elsa alright. He knew the way her icy, creepy blue eyes trailed after his sister when she came into the visitor's lounge. Like Olaf but far less innocent, the Ice Queen seemed to have always been hiding in the corner of visitor's lounge whenever his sister visited… scribbling away in her little books, though Anna had never noticed.

At first, neither had he. The blonde was good at hiding herself from people's attention, considering her seemingly meek persona and utter lack of verbal communication. Hans had never noticed her... until one day he'd seen the way ghostly pale eyes traced his sister's figure, seen those dark pupils dilate when Anna had smiled at him before leaving, bending over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving. They'd been sitting on the couch together watching TV, and a chill had gone down his spine the moment his sister had straightened back up and Hans had glanced over. The blonde bitch had been too busy undressing his sister with her eyes _right in front of him_ to even notice his glare.

She'd always be gone before Hans had the chance to… confront her of course, apparently being a favorite of the idiot staff here and always having a nurse waiting on her hand and _fucking_ foot to take her back to her room. If he didn't have an ingrained habit of walking his sister to the door when she left then maybe he'd have been able to catch her...

Apparently his warning that one day when she'd dared to approach Anna when he'd left the room hadn't been clear enough. What an unfortunate situation for her, because now he owed her a more _thorough_ warning.

There was something unnatural about that girl, something that Hans didn't want anywhere near his sister. And now... now he finds out that she's been spending time with his sister. Even after he'd _warned _her…

It was almost enough to make him angry with his little sister. Almost. _It's not her fault. She doesn't understand. And that's okay._

_Because I'll _make_ her understand._

He cast one last look at the end of the hall. He grinned despite himself, and it was not a pleasant grin. Oh, he made sure it was by the time the senile old nurse turned his way. By the time Fauna had squinted hard enough to recognize him, Hans was already waving politely. His sick grin had melted into a grin that made him look boyish and innocent. She waved in return, happy to see him happy, and soon Merriweather was brushing past him to lead him to dinner.

He followed, his mind busy planning a way to rendezvous with his sister's silent little pet stalker.

"So you didn't discuss _anything _we agreed you'd discuss with Elsa? Nothing? Jeez Anna, what were you doing for two hours?"

Anna blushed, ignoring Kristoff's probing glare. "I told you, we didn't do anything! I was tired so we just kinda, I dunno…"

Kristoff's voice was insistent. "You just… what? Napped? Wait, let me guess, she let you use her as a pillow or something." He trailed off chuckling, but when Anna remained silent there was a moment of quiet before Kristoff burst out into laughter.

Anna blushed down to the collar of her shirt and she threw a chip at her best friend, who was laughing so hard he was bent over double, hands clutching his stomach. "Oh, shut up! I told you I was tired!"

Kristoff spoke in between gasps, "Are you kidding? That's some cheesy rom-com crap right there! She-she let you use her as a freaking pillow?!" His mocking taunt was cut off as a new round of booming laughter had him close to tears. "Oh lord, I bet you drooled all over her! I mean, knowing you the poor girl was probably soaked!"

"I _did not!" _Anna's voice was shrill with indignation, and when Kristoff continued to laugh she rolled over and pressed her face into the couch, pulling a throw pillow up and over her head to drown out the noise. She let out a long, drawn-out groan which only had Kristoff laughing louder.

The pair lounged in her living room, Kristoff playing one of her brother's video games with Anna just watching as she tried not to finish an entire bag of Sun Chips by herself. (The task had been proving quite difficult until Kristoff had thoroughly embarrassed her.)

Finally when Kristoff had calmed down enough to speak all he had to say was "Damn, you've got it bad. Both of you do."

Anna peaked her head out from under the pillow to stick her tongue out at the blonde, who only shook his head in amusement. She felt her phone begin to buzz in her pocket, and when she pulled it from her pocket she grinned down at the screen.

"Who is it?" Kristoff asked.

"It's Rapunzel," Anna answered. She rolled off the couch and headed into her bedroom to take the call, trusting Kristoff not to break anything while she was busy.

"Hey Punz," said once she'd accepted the call. "What's up?"

"Oh nothing, just fulfilling my promise to be a better cousin," Rapunzel quipped. Anna rolled her eyes. She could practically see her cousin's cheeky grin. "How've you been? How's school?"

Anna sighed, opening the door to her bedroom and immediately jumping onto her bed. "It's fine," she said with a huff. "I mean, I'm only passing Astronomy because Hans gave me all his notes, but we did start this new Racquetball section in gym which is fun. You know how much I like games where I get to hit things, does wonders for my stress level."

Rapunzel hummed her agreement, but the caution that entered her tone immediately had Anna dreading the incoming question. "And… how's Elsa?"

_Well, I knew that was coming._

The redhead groaned and reached under her bed for a chocolate bar. She hadn't had any chocolate at all today, and she would definitely be in need of some if she was going to get through this conversation. "To be perfectly honest, Punz? I don't know. Everything's gotten so insanely complicated and I'm nowhere near mature enough to handle any of it."

"That's not true, Anna-banana. You're stronger than you think you are." Rapunzel said with a ridiculously overdone British lilt to her voice.

"It's kinda hard for me to believe that when you say my name with that ridiculous accent," Anna quipped.

Rapunzel giggled in response. "Fine, fine. But I'm serious, this isn't anything you can't handle."

Anna bit her lip. In truth, Rapunzel calling her at this time was a blessing. There had been things on her mind for the past few days that she couldn't hope to talk out with Kristoff, and there was no way she'd be able to work through them herself. "How can I-" her voice cracked when she started, so she cleared her throat and breathed before making another attempt. "How can I handle love when I don't even really know what love is?"

The silence that followed was soul-crushing. Anna was terrified she was about to get yelled at, laughed at, or hung up on. She wasn't really sure which of the three would be the worst, and she was surprised when her cousin did none of the above.

"Anna… are you sure?"

"No!" Anna immediately shouted. "That's the point!"

Rapunzel hushed her gently, and Anna bit into her chocolate bar, desperate for something to distract herself with.

"Anna, what happened after the party?"

"We… well, things were kinda awkward. I could tell she didn't want to talk about it, but… at one point we just kinda relaxed around each other again and got over the awkward part. But, just before I left to go back home we were in her room and… we, kinda, um… we kinda kissed."

"She kissed you?" When Kristoff had asked her this, he'd been incredulous, disbelieving. Anna was infinitely grateful that her cousin sounded only curious.

"...No. I kissed her. And then, like an idiot, I freaked. I was getting ready to leave, packing up all my stuff so I could get out of there, but then all of a sudden she was there and then she kissed me. So… I guess, we both kinda kissed each other."

"Did you, y'know… enjoy it? Was it nice?"

"I mean, I guess… I was kinda busy freaking out about the whole thing but-"

"Would you do it again?" Rapunzel cut her off gently, sensing and probably preventing an intense session of Anna-Christian-brand rambling.

Anna bit her lip, unsure. "I-I… I think so. Probably. Her lips were soft. Plus she smells nice."

Rapunzel snorted in response. "Good to know. So what's got you scared?"

"Punz… you should have seen the way she looked at me. She just looked so happy, and even though I was really scared, part of me was really happy too. I think I've realized that I care about making her happy, and if given the opportunity I'd kiss her again, but…" she trailed off, her heart thumping uncomfortably in her chest. "What if I mess this up? What if she gets hurt?"

"Have you considered what might happen if _you_ get hurt?"

The redhead blinked, stupefied. "...what do you mean? How would I get hurt?"

It took Rapunzel a while to get her thoughts in order, and as she did Anna let her thoughts drift back to Elsa. A deep breath in alerted her nose to the fact that her clothes still had Elsa's scent on them, clean and comforting, and that calmed her. That nap at the institute had been just what she'd needed, and Elsa made a great pillow. The quick kiss on the cheek she'd received as a farewell before leaving had been a pretty good bonus, too. Freckled cheeks burned at the memory, the feeling of soft lips on her skin easily remembered and re-experienced. Blue eyes flashed through her head, brimming with affection. Anna let her own close as another deep sigh escape her.

She'd been too shy to return the kiss.

"Anna, you still with me?" Anna began to nod before realizing that her cousin couldn't see her nodding, so she was quick to make a noise of affirmation. "Alright, listen. Take it from someone with experience, love is a two-way street. If it isn't, then that's not love. I know that Elsa cares about you, I could tell that within two minutes of meeting her. Granted, you're really one of the only people she's affectionate with from what I understand, but still. A girl knows."

"Hey, I'm a girl too y'know!"

"I meant a girl who _wasn't_ utterly oblivious. Now hush and let me finish." Anna blushed but remained silent, allowing her cousin to continue. "So yes, Elsa cares about you. So if you broke her heart, that would suck. But what you're not understanding is how much this situation has the capability of harming _you._ You may not fully understand your feelings, but you admit that you have them. So if Elsa hurt you, then that would suck for you. But here's the tough part; if a heartbreak happens, you're getting hurt either way. Elsa's fragile, and if you hurt her you'd never forgive yourself. Don't try to deny it."

Anna couldn't, so she didn't bother trying. That whole concept was what had her heart twisted up in a million different ways. She felt like any possible decision she could make would be the wrong one. She didn't know what to do.

"Which is why I'm going to tell you. And, yes, before you ask you did in fact say that out loud."

Despite her embarrassment Anna couldn't help but laugh. She'd forgotten how well her cousin knew her; it was nice to be reminded. "So, oh Wise One, what should I do?"

Rapunzel didn't hesitate. "All you can be right now is Elsa's friend."

Anna's eyes widened, her heart stopping. "Wait, what?"

Rapunzel's voice was firm. "Elsa is in no position to be responsible for another person's emotional well-being. She cares about you a lot, but she can't be there for you. So long as she's in that institute, crippled by her speech problems and whatever emotional turmoil that's caused them, you two can't be together. Not in the way two people in love are supposed to be."

"But Rapunzel, that's not fair, to either of us!" Anna was sitting up now, chocolate bar forgotten on her bed as she gripped her phone with a lot more force than was necessary.

"Anna, love is not fair. It's demanding, it's hard, and a lot of people don't have the strength to keep up with it. Love is something that requires your full attention. It has to be part of who you are. It's subconscious, and it's wired into both your heart and your head. Can you honestly tell me either of you is ready for that kind of commitment?"

Anna fought to find evidence that yes, she was… but if she needed her cousin to tell her what love was, should she really be defending her right to it? Or Elsa's right to it? After all, she cared about Elsa but she _wasn't_ Elsa. She couldn't speak for her, or make decisions for her. And truthfully, part of Anna knew that kisses didn't automatically mean a happy ending. Kristoff had pretty much told her the same thing, he'd warned her too.

Anna had no choice but to accept their advice. She didn't know what to do, so she'd have to trust the people she knew cared about her to guide her in what was hopefully the right direction.

"What if Elsa gets upset?"

"She'll understand, honey. If she doesn't, then maybe it's just not meant to be."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Haha so fuck not writing author's notes, turns out all I needed was a good break. Thanks to all of you patient folks. Thank you for the kind words and the dedication. It means so much that you all care enough to send me messages even months after I've updated, and I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart. Know that I will never give up on this story, the chapters might just take a while ;)**

**As for the rest of you...**

**I've worked with children who weren't as ridiculous as some of the people who read this story. The self-entitlement you people feel is really quite fucking hilarious. You can call me a bitch, a diva, a narcissist, whatever you want. I hope it helps you feel like you're doing **_**something**_** productive with your lives.**


	27. Chapter 27

Getting into Elsa's room was proving to be disappointingly easy.

In all honesty the Arendelle Institute for the Emotionally Unwell or _whatever_ the fuck the place was called had some shit security. Probably because the funding for the place was meager at best; it wasn't exactly the newest place, or the nicest. His bed squeaked something fierce at night when he rolled over in his sleep, and the ceilings had water stains. Most of the budget went towards medication, food and clothes: the necessities. But the security cameras were old, as was the staff. New hires were rare, and they weren't always top-notch. The majority of patients were just pathetic sob stories too, and not necessarily dangerous so it's not like round-the-clock guard-dog watchtower-sniper security was really practical.

This made it easy for Hans to play the part of the cunning, silent thief.

_They should take better care in interviewing their prospective hires, _Hans thought as a smug grin graced his face. A glint of metal peeked out from between pale fingers as he slipped a freshly-stolen set of keys into his front pocket. _One little puppy-dog pout and that ditz Kari was like putty in my hands. Too busy ogling me like a piece of emotionally-distressed but still oh-so-handsome piece of meat. _

_I mean come on, what does she think I am? The star of whatever stupid romance novel she's currently writing in her head? Or should I say co-star… she does fit the role of 'uninteresting and unappealing basic little bitch' that for seem reason seems to be fiction's favorite archetype at the moment quite nicely._

Kari was one of the newest nurses on staff, a bubbly but incredibly dense and naïve redhead (the thought that his darling Anna too possessed these qualities never crossed his mind, too perfect was she in his eyes to ever be similar to an annoying girl such as Kari) with bad teeth and a penchant for idiotic rambling. She couldn't have been more than five years older than him and yet even upon their first meeting he felt vastly superior.

And as far as he was concerned, his feelings were correct.

He'd just finished suffering through one of the Weasel's hour-long therapy sessions, jaw stiff with irritation and barely-concealed anger… as per usual.

God, how he _hated_ those sessions…

"_So, my boy, how are we feeling today?"_

"_I don't know how many fucking_ _times I have to tell you, Weasel. Stop calling me that. I'm not your boy, I'm not your friend. I'm not your anything."_

"_Ah, but you _are _my patient. And as such, you need to open up to me sooner or later. This constant alternation between aggression and nonchalance was old on day one."_

"_I'm being kept here against my will, so sorry that my disposition isn't as bright and shiny as that bald cranium of yours." _

"_Is that right? But you agreed to come here for treatment, did you not?"_

"_It was this cozy little place or jail, you idiot. I'm too pretty for jail."_

Talking with Dr. Weselton was always either hilarious or infuriating. Making fun of his ridiculous facial hair and his _fake _hair never failed to get a twitch out of the old man, but lately the little man's questions had begun hitting a little too close to home.

"_Hans, I'd like to talk about your family. You can't keep avoiding these questions forever."_

"_I just don't understand why you want to talk about my folks. They've been dead for a decade, old man. My bleeding heart's been stitched and healed for quite a while."_

"_I don't mean your parents, Hans. How does Anna feel about this?"_

The first time Weselton had asked that, Hans had gone still.

"…_about what?"_

His shaky response (his first ever response of that nature) had only ensured further pursuits in that line of questioning. And his body would react the same way every time.

"_How do you think Anna feels, seeing you like this?"_

He'd break out into a cold sweat.

"_How do you think Anna felt when police showed up at your door, looking for you?"_

He'd become hyper-sensitive to everything around him. The twitching in the tendons of his fingers, the follicles of every hair on his head, the beads of perspiration breaking out on his forehead…

"_How do you think Anna felt watching you beat that poor boy half to death?"_

His head would pound and his jaw would ache, so harshly did he grit his teeth to keep from leaping over the table to rip the doctor's mouth clean off. Questions like that weren't fair. They weren't _fair._

Anna was his whole world. Everything he did, he did for her. For her happiness. For her safety. It wasn't his fault he was in here, and it wasn't his fault that everyone else seemed determined to make their lives difficult. The only thing he wanted was to be with Anna, to be happy like they used to be. They didn't need anyone else! They didn't need doctors or nurses or teachers or whoever the fuck else thought they had a right to tell them what to do.

They didn't need their parents. They'd gotten along just fine without them.

They didn't need friends. The fact that Anna always came to see him just proved that he was her number one priority. She didn't need anyone else.

She certainly didn't need _Elsa._

Just the thought of the silent blonde freak had the hairs on the back of Hans' neck standing on end. Sure, even he had to admit that she was aesthetically appealing, what with the blue eyes and weirdly-pale blonde hair… but there was just something off about her. It wasn't the silence, obviously that was odd but it was clearly a legit issue and he didn't think it was an act.

(He knew a lot about acting, so he was fairly confident in that assumption.)

The silence wasn't what creeped him out, it was her eyes. As innocent as everyone seemed to think she was, there was a depth in her eyes that hinted at an observant mind. Observant minds were dangerous. They took note of everything, any insignificant detail, purely through the unconscious paranoia that plagued them. Observant minds were capable of intense thought, complicated strategy and unhealthy obsession. Observant minds were never at rest, and Hans knew that this Elsa girl had thoughts to spare for his sister. He could see it in the way they darkened and dragged themselves over his sister's frame, and though blue was meant to be a peaceful color Hans couldn't help but liken her eyes to a haunted lake inhabited by something twisted and dangerous.

But Anna was too loving, too sweet to just accept his word without proof. Even he wasn't that narcissistic.

That's why he'd stolen the keys. He was going to find his proof.

If he could find proof and prove to Anna that Elsa couldn't trust her, then he could tear her to pieces with a clear conscience. Maybe he wouldn't even have to do that, maybe if he found the right kind of proof Anna would be so disgusted that she'd get rid of Elsa on her own. The thought made him grin.

He just hoped he'd find something useful.

After he found out about Anna and Elsa's little playdates he put on his best good-boy persona and used every trick in his book to find out which days Anna visited, and for how long. It helped that his window had a good view of the gardens. Certain patients were allowed scheduled time outside, and since he spent so much of his time just watching the birds flying around outside (because in all honesty there was little else he _could_ do in that room) and observing what little ground was afforded to his view.

He wasn't stupid enough to ask about Anna or Elsa directly, that would have been too suspicious. The smarter nurses would have seen through him immediately.

But there was nothing suspicious about asking curious questions about the patients he saw outside. Little things like _'Oh, I saw this woman with crazy hair the other day, black on one side and white on the other, who is she?'_ or _'Does that one man who's always stumbling around the garden_ really_ think he's a pirate?' _They were harmless questions, but with every answer he was building a schedule of who went out on what days. And since it was the same every week, by the third week he was fairly confident that he knew when Elsa would be out of her room, drooling over his little sister while they sat in the visitor's lounge.

The knowledge that his sister was in the building made his blood boil, just like it always did whenever either of them was threatened. The urge to run to her and hold her and get them both out of here was almost overpowering.

But his _need_ to show her that he was right and Elsa was dangerous was even more pressing.

"Hello Hans, ready to go back to your room?" Hans looked up and forced a smile on his face at the sight of Merriweather approaching him. She always picked him up and escorted him to and from his sessions, and she _used_ to escort him to the visitor's lounge when he still had his visitation rights.

It had been so long since he'd seen Anna's face…

"Yes ma'am," he murmured, but just then Kari peeked her head out from Weselton's office door. For a moment, panic raced up Hans' spine and coalesced in his chest.

_Did she notice?_

Sure, the girl wasn't the brightest crayon in the box but Hans wasn't exactly a skilled pickpocket. It was very possible that she'd noticed, and now he was about to be in a world of trouble.

But his fears were relieved when all the woman did was grin and wave to Merriweather before disappearing back inside. He watched her go with a cocked brow, resisting the urge to sigh in relief. When she was gone he turned back to Merriweather and she began to herd him up the stairs and back to his room. As they went, he prayed the keys would stay silent in his pocket and not alert the elderly nurse to their present.

He knew they wouldn't be missed for a while; Kari was still new and had relatively few duties. She mainly helped with cooking and cleaning, and she did some therapy sessions with the institute's youngest patients. Hopefully she wouldn't notice her keys were gone until late in the day, possibly tomorrow morning if he was lucky. By then, he'd have his proof and he could just drop the keys somewhere that wouldn't relate back to him.

_Maybe I can drop them under Weselton's desk. Since she was just in there maybe she'll just assume she dropped them._

As he ascended the stairs with Merriweather he made a mental run-through of his schedule, just to double-check with himself to make sure today was the right day.

_Lady DeVille was in the garden two days ago… and that little blonde girl was wandering around with that stuffed rabbit this morning, which makes today Wednesday. The Ice Queen should be with Anna in the visitor's lounge for another few hours… that one time I saw her it was dinnertime. She must have a later dinner block, which means after the old lady drops me off I should have plenty of time to get in and get out before anyone knows anything._

_The hall cam is broken, so no one should see me… but I'll need to be quiet just in case. I just hope I remember which room is hers… was it three doors down? Or four?_

Soon enough Merriweather had led him back to the little cell he was forced to call a bedroom, and he was being ushered inside. Merriweather didn't care for him much, he could tell by how short and curt she was with him, she never went out of her way to be affectionate with him. It didn't bother him too much though, he was used to it.

"I'll be back to pick you up for dinner in a few hours."

Hans just hummed in response and went to lie down on his bed. Even after the door closed and locked he waited, staring up at the ceiling and steeling his nerves for the task ahead.

Eventually when his breathing was calm (calm enough by _his_ standards, a yoga instructor certainly wouldn't have thought him fit for duty) he went to the door and retrieved the keys from his pocket. Hoping he'd be lucky enough to the right one on the first try, he needed to get this done quick. It was just unfortunate that real-world lock-picking wasn't as easy as virtual lock picking. If this was Skyrim he wouldn't have even needed the keys.

But something must have been on his side for very first key he slid into the lock was the right one, and a sick grin spread across his face as the door clicked open. He let himself have a moment of celebration before he squared his shoulders and his eyes narrowed in determination. He turned the knob slowly, so as not to make more noise than was necessary, and gave himself enough room to peek into the hallway. When he was sure it was empty, he slid into the hall and shut the door behind him, taking care to lock it again on the odd chance someone might come by to check the doors while he was in the Ice Queen's room. He quickly moved down the hall, counting three doors and wondering if he had the right room. He squinted at the door for a moment, before second-guessing himself and moving one door further down.

His uncertainty paid off, for after some time fumbling for the right key the door opened and the chill that escaped the room (be it his overactive imagine or not) was a sign to Hans that he was in the right place. He cast one last glance down the hall to make sure no one would witness his trespass before slipping inside.

Admittedly, his initial reaction to the state of the room he found himself in was not necessarily negative. The Ice Queen kept her room very tidy; her bed was perfectly made and everything on her desk (he couldn't help but think, _Why don't_ I_ get a desk?)_ was organized. In fact, the only thing that seemed out of place was the collection of paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling.

One look at them and he knew that Anna had made them. He wasn't sure how, but he knew.

So why did _Elsa_ have them?

His lip curled and his fists tightened, the urge to rip them down nearly overpowering. But he didn't. The only thing he was here for was proof, and destroying the place to vent his anger was not a productive way to spend what little time he had.

Turning his gaze away from the clumsily-made colorful little creations, he redirected his attention towards the desk. He hurried over to it and pulled open the first drawer, finding what looked like a blue sketchbook inside. He pulled it out and flipped through it briefly, judgmental eyes passing over sketches of anything and everything. There were a lot of foxes, foxes and eyes and unfinished profiles. There were bare-bones sketches of what Hans guessed were other patients. A particularly pudgy frame actually got a chuckle out of him, the few lines easily capturing the head nurse Gerda's great girth.

But this book was useless if all it got out of him was a chuckle.

With a huff he snapped it shut and tossed it on the desk and resumed his search. The second drawer in the desk was filled with balled up pieces of paper, notebooks hidden underneath them. Hans grabbed a handful, spreading them out onto the desk with suspicion and excitement in his snake-like eyes.

All of them seemed to be letters Elsa had attempted to write, and a noise not dissimilar to a growl escaped Hans' throat when he realized that most of them were addressed to his sister. None of them were very long however and many of them had thick black lines slashed through them, making most of them barely legible… which was incredibly frustrating since that meant _these _wouldn't help him either.

Only one stood out, the one that looked to be the Ice Queen's most successful attempt. In a shaky, unsure scrawl Elsa had written Anna's name, and the following message: _'I'wish you knew how long I've wanted to say your name out loud, to know how it feels. I'm so sorry that I' _the following three lines were slashed clean through before the message picked up again. _'I'm so pathetic... I've gone so long without words that even writing is a struggle. I've almost forgotten how to use them and honestly I've read up on speech therapy, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to speak like I used to before-'_

Hans frowned. Of course, just as it was getting interesting, it cut off. _Well, she's got one thing right. She is pathetic._

Still, not proven dangerous. So he turned his attention to the third and final drawer in the desk, the frustration that boiled in his blood showing in the way he yanked the door open with definitely more force than was necessary. This one contained another assortment of letters and cards, but these were not Elsa's creations. Each one had been perfectly folded and each was comfortable in their well-preserved envelopes. And there were a _lot_ of them, enough that they nearly filled the drawer. Reaching out for one, Hans admired the beautiful stationary and looked to see who the letter was addressed to and who had sent it.

His brows rose in surprise when he realized that each one of these letters was sent by Elsa's own parents. Curiosity (and perhaps jealousy) got the better of him and he pulled the letter itself out. It was nearly three pages long, and the penmanship was impeccable. The script was slanted and close-set and even Hans had to squint to make it out.

This particular one was old, for one line read: _'I can't believe my little girl is finally thirteen! I was so looking forward to having Edna make a new dress for you but she just insisted she had more important works of art to create. I swear it my dear, the woman is gifted with both extreme talent and a think just a touch of madness…'_

Yet more evidence that Elsa was as harmless as everyone seemed to think she was. Hans' nostrils flared but there was a misery in his eyes as he gazed at the letter. In a moment of vulnerability he brought the letter closer to his face and sniffed it.

For a moment he wondered if his mother had worn a similar perfume.

He stared at the letter a moment more before sighing and folding it back up with care. He leaned down to place it back amongst its brothers his shoulders sagging with an emptiness that had hit him out of nowhere. In that moment all he wanted to do was go back to his room and curl up into a ball until he felt better again. But as he straightened up, something caught his eye.

Beneath all the letters, carefully hidden, was a large black book.

Eyes widening, Hans grabbed for it, the momentary respect he'd shown for Elsa's letters quelled in an instant. The book was heavy, whether with ink or secrets he'd have to find out, and find out he would. He placed it on the desk, brushing aside the balled up messages he'd neglected to put away. He put his hands on the desk and stared hard at the book's black cover, hopeful and yet somehow nervous to view what might be waiting for him inside. But the young man steeled his nerve and opened the book, slowly revealing…

…his sister. It was a drawing of his sister. And there was another on the next page. And the next one. And the one after that.

"What the…" Horror spread across Hans' face as he realized that this book was literally _filled_ with drawings of his sister Anna. Anna smiling, Anna in profile, Anna sitting with him on the couch, though he was merely a penciled-in frame with no detail at all. "What the _fuck._"

The rate at which he flipped pages grew steadily as the details in each drawing grew sharper and more accurate, until the resemblance was almost uncanny. Elsa's artistic ability wasn't what disgusted him though. No, what disgusted him was the fact that as he continued his frantic flipping through this disturbing record of the Ice Queen's obsession, the drawings of his sister grew more and more risqué. There were sketches of her blushing, biting her lip, there was an even an entire page dedicated to Anna's eyes alone, clouded and lustful.

And then there was the dress. There was a full-color drawing of his baby sister in a _slutty_ backless dress, showing entirely too much skin for Hans' approval. Anger coursed through his veins, the rage building up inside of him, and when the next page was a hastily-drawn sketch of Anna wearing the dress, sprawled across what was clearly meant to be a bed his hands were shaking.

But his blood ran cold when he got to the final drawing in the book. The urge to vomit roiled in his stomach and he dropped the book like it was aflame.

If only he could be so lucky.

Instead it lay there on the desk, stubbornly turned open to the page that had immediately induced nausea in him. But that nausea gave way to a blind rage, a fury so fierce that the edges of his vision turned black and spotty and every cell in his body seemed to vibrate at a frequency meant only for the most bloodthirsty of beasts.

With a roar Hans leapt forward, tore the page from the book and bowled through the door the way a bull body slams a matador.

The Ice Queen was_ dead_ when he found her.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm back, darlings. Did you miss me?<strong>

**I was a bitch in my last author's note, I'm well aware. But I'm not all that sorry for it. I may have been in a bad headspace way back when, but that doesn't excuse all of you for your behavior. **

**All of you supportive little peeps though are the bomb, and let me just say: the next chapter is _the_ chapter. It is _THE_ chapter. Interpret that how you will. **

**-Cel**


	28. Chapter 28

Sometimes life just downright stinks. Sometimes it gets hard and painful and doing anything to stop it from hurting seems hopeless and pointless and the end of the world seems like a fully apprehensible outcome for your weekend. Sometimes getting out of bed is hard… sometimes it's physically impossible for hours on end. Sometimes the sun is your enemy, and not the reason you're even alive at all. Sometimes your closest friends seem like nothing but annoyances, and loneliness doesn't seem so bad.

Sometimes loneliness is deadly.

Sometimes one can sit alone and wonder why they've been dealt the hand they now stare at somberly, wondering how anyone could expect them to come out on top. Sometimes life seems like the world's worst merry-go-round: it's repetitive and painful and the only light might be the person riding it along beside you… sometimes the only thing you can look forward to is something far off in the distance every once-round, and even though seeing it makes the ride a tad better it's bittersweet because you think you'll never be able to get off the ride and reach it.

But the thing is… life gets better. Things get better. If you hold out long enough, living is the greatest thing you will ever do.

Sometimes life is bright and easy and perfect. Sometimes, just sometimes, life can be the best thing _ever_. Sometimes you'll wonder how anyone could ever be sad… you'll wonder why anyone ever lets themselves be sad. Sometimes life makes you think happiness is easy. Sometimes that's a dangerous thought, other times not so much. Sometimes happiness is harmless. Sometimes hope is contagious but… in a good way. Like the way smiles are contagious, or the way sleepy little yawns are contagious when shared amongst friends or lovers.

…if you could look inside someone's mind and see their thoughts, maybe even hear them, anyone looking inside the mind of Anna Christian that morning would hear a monologue just like this. Not quite so eloquent, but the philosophy behind her dopey smile and the bright eyes that shined despite the weight of the dark shadows beneath them was at its core just as meaningful.

Why?

Because for the first time in a long while, getting out of bed had been surprisingly easy for Anna to do. She'd sung in the shower, taken the time to actually do her hair so that it fell in fiery copper waves around her bright, freckled face. She'd woken up early enough to make herself pancakes for breakfast and she made it to school early so she could get in some last minute studying for the Astronomy quiz she'd be taking later that day… a quiz she felt fairly confident about.

For the first time in what felt like weeks but was actually months Anna had spent going through unhealthy motions thrust upon her (the damage of which she even now was not fully aware of) by others, the young girl felt like just that: a young girl with responsibilities she could _actually_ handle.

Such a sudden change can sometimes be a random streak of good luck or an unwarranted rush of dopamine… but Anna's newfound ease and peace did in fact have a cause. Several, in fact.

One such cause was the game plan her cousin Rapunzel had set for her. Admittedly, when Anna had been on the phone with her cousin and been told that she'd have to end the not-quite-a-relationship relationship she'd sparked with Elsa, Anna had panicked and immediately envisioned all the worst scenarios in her head: Elsa crying, Elsa withdrawing from Anna's touch and ignoring all Anna's attempts at comfort. Each scene to enter her head had seemed worse than the last, but as the call continued her cousin's gentle voice had grounded her.

Eventually, the logic of Rapunzel's advice had won over Anna's initial panic. Having someone actually tell her what to do for once, rather than being left to her own devices and agonizing over her choices was a pleasant relief. After Rapunzel had hung up Anna flopped back down onto her bed and, after a moment, let out a long, relaxed sigh. Anna understood that, though the conversation would be a hard one, the sooner she set her boundaries with the blonde the sooner the guilt that had been eating away at her spirit since the two had kissed could be put to rest. Albeit… temporarily.

(Sometimes confidence can be fickle and fragile, and putting a Band-Aid on things always seems like the immediate response but it isn't always the healthiest… and it's certainly not permanent.)

So though the apprehension over actually_ having _the conversation with Elsa was still hidden just under the surface, clawing at her fragile state of ease like a vulture nipping at barely-held-together skin, her good mood was still shining through, strong as anything. And that was because of the _main_ cause of her happiness, which had also occurred last night over the phone.

When Gerda had called her Anna had been terrified. It had been after dinner and she didn't think hospitals were allowed to call anyone that late. Regardless, when Anna heard Gerda's voice she had immediately assumed something bad had happened to Elsa. Then she thought of her brother. And then as Gerda had rambled Anna tried to shove down the shame that rose up in her throat when she realized that Elsa had been her number one concern, not Hans. And speaking of Hans, he ended up being the subject of Gerda's call.

Her brother was getting his visiting rights back.

At first, Anna had doubted she'd heard the old woman correctly. So she'd simply removed the receiver from her ear and stared at dumbly. It had felt like so long since she'd seen her brother, and yet the incident she'd witnessed in the hallway all those weeks ago seemed so fresh in her mind… like if she moved her head too fast she could still see splashes of red in the edges of her vision.

"_I… I can see him again?" _she'd said, voice trembling with uncertainty.

"_Yes, dear. Dr. Weselton is confident that Hans is finally ready to really begin his rehabilitation process, and he feels that seeing your face again will only spur the progress on. Even I've noticed the dear boy has been much calmer lately, if somewhat morose."_

"…_morose?"_ Her brother was never… morose. It just… didn't happen. He could get irritated, of course, even angry if someone deserved it. But _morose_? Honestly the saddest Anna had ever seen her brother was at the end of one of his video games when the main character ended up getting betrayed and shot. His shoulders had seemed to lose all strength and he'd leaned back against the couch with a dazed sort of confusion in his eyes._ "What do you mean by morose?"_

It hadn't quite felt like a real word when she'd said it.

Gerda's voice had been patient but not altogether understanding, typical of a nurse who knew how she was supposed to feel but lacked the ability to conjure any true empathy for the situation she was addressing. It was not unkind of her, just… not comforting the way Anna was sure she wanted it to be.

"_Well my dear, I'm not really at liberty to say. He's quite alright physically… but he just hasn't really been the same since the incident, which I'm sure you can understand."_ Anna had winced. _"But as I said, Dr. Weselton believes this sadness to be recognition of his wrongdoing and we're confident he's on the road to true recovery. Now, I know you usually come in to visit Elsa on Wednesdays, so would you be willing to come in the day after tomorrow?"_

"_Thursday?"_

Anna had haphazardly run through her mental schedule and said yes before her brain fully acknowledged that she would in fact be free then. It had taken some time for the idea that she would be seeing her brother in less than 48 hours to really sink in; it in fact took so long that it must have happened when she'd finally passed out in her bed. When she woke up the next morning she was on cloud nine.

And now she was at school, and it was 1 o'clock. She'd just taken her Astronomy quiz and felt sure that she'd at least gotten a B+ on it, and she had Study Hall as her last period of the day. So she could take the time to relax, maybe read a book… she might even be able to take a nap if Ms. Roz wasn't restocking the shelves today. Whenever the tubby librarian restocked the shelves the students tended to stay away and make an effort to at least pretend they were doing work: Roz was terrifying. Hopefully she'd spend the period browsing through who-knows-what on her ancient computer monitor. Anna could grab a table toward the rear of the school's library out of sight and catch a quick hour of sleep before her visit with Elsa. Though she was feeling better than she had in a long time, Anna hadn't gotten more than five hours of sleep the night before and was exhausted accordingly.

So when she got to the library and answered the glare she immediately received upon entering with an awkward, nervous smile, she did a little happy dance in her head and headed for an empty desk in the far back. Anna plopped her bag onto the scuffed-up surface of the hard table and sank into her seat with a content little sigh. _Ah… nap time. I've missed you. It's been far too long, we really need to get together more often. Like, every other day more often. Or maybe once a day more often. I'm sorry, is that excessive? _ Anna crossed her arms across the tabletop and rested her head on top of them, and within moments she could feel the familiar sensation of blinds slowly being drawn somewhere at the back of her eyes that told her sleep was on its way. She wiggled deeper into her seat, getting as comfortable as possible. Eventually it got to a point where it felt like she was becoming one with the table. Just a few minutes, she told herself. An easy, ten-minute nap. Just enough to really _enjoy_ being able to shut her eyes. Ten minutes and she'd be golden. _Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Anna: T-minus ten minutes,_ her sleep-addled brain promised itself.

And then a bag thumped down right next to her head.

"_Ah!"_ Anna shouted, her heart having jumped so far up in her throat it could've peeked out and said hello before it dropped back down where it was biologically supposed to be.

"Take it easy!" Anna recognized that slightly-haughty but nervous voice, and when she looked up and saw Hercules standing there with a look that was a bit too concerned to be irritated she groaned. There went her chance for a nap.

"Not that I'm not _overjoyed_ to see you Muscles McGee, but you just took my one chance at sleep and crushed it into a million tiny pieces." Anna whined, leaning so far back into the uncomfortable wooden chair that it threatened to tip over, then she flopped back forward so her forehead rested against the table. "What do you want?"

She heard him pull out the chair across from her and sit down. She was lazy (and not quite sure how to handle this boy's constant existence in her space) so she kept her head down, so she could only guess at what he was doing. At one point it sounded like he crossed his arms and leaned forward, but there was an awkward silence that stretched over the two of them. Eventually though, he spoke. "I wanted to talk. About… you. A-and your brother." Hercules' voice was quiet and shy, and when Anna picked her head up his voice matched the look on his face. His eyes did not meet hers, but his body language told her that he was completely focused on her.

Confused, Anna slowly returned to a sitting position. She blinked owlishly, before narrowing her eyes. "Why?" her tone accusatory.

"Because," Hercules answered immediately, as though he knew this question was coming. "I've given you shit about your brother for the past year without ever really… understanding that you were a person. I talked to your friend Kristoff," Hercules explained when Anna opened her mouth to interject. "He told me about your parents being gone and… made me remember all the things you used to do for the team that I never paid attention to. You were always around, but you were never anything more than this… extension of Hans, really. So… that made it easy for all of us, for me," he corrected himself as his eyes grew ashamed. "To immediately make you a target for all of the hurt we felt when Hans did what he did."

"When Hans did what he did?" Anna said, anger creeping into her tone. "You make it sound like Hans just snapped out of nowhere, like you and the entire school _weren't_ responsible for driving him up the wall."

Hercules' nostrils flared, and Anna knew what was coming next. "So… what? Eric and Shang _deserved _the beating your brother gave them?"

"No! But did my brother deserve everything you did to him just because some guy intercepted a throw and your entire _team_ couldn't catch him? Last time I checked, football wasn't a one-man job! What my brother did was wrong, but don't act like he did it out of nowhere. Maybe if Shang and Eric hadn't blamed my brother for something that wasn't his fault and made him feel worse than he was _already_ feeling, then maybe we wouldn't all be where we are right now!"

The two teens glared at each other from across the table, two pairs of nearly identical teal eyes narrowed in accusation and anger. Hercules' hands were clenched into fists on the tabletop. Anna held the boy's gaze for a long time before she huffed and fell back into her seat, crossing her arms over her chest.

"…Hans and I don't remember our parents very well. They were great and all, but… y'know. It's hard to keep memories alive when they're a decade old." Hercules' fists unclenched, and the angry lines in his face softened as Anna let out a deep, sad sigh. "They went missing. My parents, I mean. There's no way they're alive really, so I should just say that they're de-" Anna's voice cracked, as though her voice was physically capable of wrapping itself around a certain, particular word. Hercules knew exactly which word it was.

It was a word that he'd had the very same trouble saying for about a year now.

He waited patiently for Anna to continue, eyes growing sad as he watched the frustration on her face grow deeper as she struggled to make her voice cooperate. Eventually however, she gave up and sagged into her seat. "They… Hans and I were left with our Uncle and Aunt. They were great people but had no idea how to handle two depressed single-digits. They're kind of loaded so they always made sure we had stuff to play with and keep us distracted, but whenever bedtime came around it would hit us, how lonely we were. How much we missed them," Anna said. "My cousin Rapunzel was the only one who could get me to fall asleep sometimes. Hans… nothing ever helped him. I know that there were some nights he just wouldn't sleep. Sometimes the two of us would sneak out and play hide and seek in the woods surrounding my Uncle's property. Other times, if it was a clear night, we'd go outside and try to guess which star our mother and father were living on, up in Heaven."

"How old were you guys?"

"He was eight and I was six." Anna's voice was flat, as though their young ages were completely irrelevant to the weight of the tragedy they endured. As though it were perfectly acceptable for such innocent creatures to have their lives upended. "Anyway, we were sad and hard to be around for a long time. But… one day Hans sat me down and told me that we had to be strong. We couldn't just sit around and mope. We still had each other, he'd say. If we stayed sad, then what kind of people would we grow up to be? How could we make Pa and Ma in Heaven happy if all we did was cry about being lonely?"

Anna's eyes grew distant then, like she was picturing the conversation in her head. Hercules didn't know what they looked like when they were little, having only moved to Arendelle when he was thirteen, but he didn't have to try hard to picture it along with her. Two little auburn-haired children with eyes that should have been bright with happiness but were instead bright with tears, huddled together and trying to convince themselves that they were strong enough to keep going.

"After that, we tried really hard to be the perfect little niece and nephew. We did everything our guardians asked, never caused trouble, and always tried to be happy. When we eventually went back to school, we did everything we could to make our parent's spirits proud. Hans… well Hans has always been a bit more disciplined than me, so he took it really seriously. Absolutely _threw_ himself into football, always made sure to stay at the top of his classes, made sure there was never a hair out of place. I never had his drive… so I guess to make mom and dad proud I just decided to be a good girl. Not cause trouble, stay sweet, and support my big brother."

She was quiet for a moment, eyes still far-off, before she blinked and seemed to return to her body. She met his gaze then, and if she saw the sadness and the almost-pity in his eyes she gave no sign. "And that's pretty much it," she stated nervously. She smiled at him sheepishly, embarrassed now, and raised a hand to rub at the back of her neck. "I ramble sometimes so… sorry if that came out like a bit of a sob story."

"It's… not a sob story," Hercules said carefully. "That's really shitty. I'm sorry, Christian." Hans may have still been a violent psycho in Hercules' eyes, but Anna almost made him believe that it wasn't entirely his fault. To lose one parent was hard enough, but losing both…

_Though there's one parent I certainly wouldn't mind losing,_ Hercules thought to himself bitterly.

"Well, thanks I guess. But, um…" Anna trailed off and the corner of Herc's mouth twitched up in a smirk when he saw suspicion in the teal eyes across from him. "Why exactly are we doing this? If you're trying to swap sob stories with me I'm sorry to tell you that I really don't have time today. I, uh… well I've got somewhere to be. And, also?"

"What?"

"I told you, it's Anna." The smile on Anna's face was not 100% genuine, but there was still sincerity behind her eyes that Hercules understood at once. She'd said to him once that she would only accept an apology that was genuine, and he was trying. He just, had to get to know her first. Had to 'understand what he did wrong,' as Anna herself had put it. After a moment he cautiously returned the smile.

"Sorry, Anna." Anna nodded to herself and pulled out her phone to check the time. Hercules watched as she did so, an idea creeping into his head. "Hey, do you want my number?"

Anna froze, eyebrow's knitting together in confusion while Hercules just grinned proudly. Her eyes darted from side to side, as though she was looking for an explanation hanging somewhere in the air. When she found none, her gaze returned to his. "Uh… not at all, really? Why?"

"Well… I really do want to understand what I did wrong. And I think I'm starting to. But… I also think that you might be able to help me understand why I did it in the first place. And if I can do that, then I can stop, and I can go back to being the person that Meg wants to be with. And, um…" Now it was his turn to be nervous. He'd known this part was going to be hard. "…because I do want to trade sob stories but…"

"But… you're afraid your teammates might see you sobbing like a big ginger baby?"

"Pretty much." Hercules affirmed.

Anna seemed to consider this for a moment, before handing her phone over. "Only on the condition that I decide where we meet up, so I can avoid getting jumped."

"Fair enough," Hercules said as he punched in his number. "I'm pretty sure that's what I deserve."

"Oh, it is."

* * *

><p>Elsa looked down at the letter in her hands and frowned.<p>

_Come on Elsa, Anna's going to be here any minute. Either it's ready or it isn't, you don't have much time!_

A sigh that sent a shudder down the length of her spine had Elsa shaking, the letter held tightly in her hands. It was a letter to Anna, one she'd spent the last week agonizing over the writing of. It was a letter she'd written what felt like a hundred times (and she surely had, for she'd been trying to write one since her very first visit with Anna), and each attempt seemed more desperate than the last. She'd ripped all the previous ones to shreds, but this one, she hoped, would be able to properly convey her feelings.

_'Dearest Anna,'_ it began.

_'First, I just wanted to thank you. Thank you for being you, for making me smile and making me happy and bringing light back into my life. I don't know what I would do without you, and I don't mean that to put pressure on you. I just want you to understand how much you mean to me. You are very important to me. I wish nothing but happiness for you and, I must admit... to be the cause of that happiness._

_I can make no promises about my... voice. It's difficult for me to discuss, even on paper. It's been so long that, that... that I'm not even really sure what's wrong with me anymore. I'm just so used to living in silence that a world with sound seems terrifying. But, a world with sound is fine so long as you're there to make sound with me. I'm sorry that that's not more eloquent, but it is the truth._

_There is one promise that I can make you, and that is this: I will try. I will try, for you Anna. And for my parents. Thanks to you, I've realized that my mother and father are growing old, and I'm missing it. I don't want to miss anymore of it. I don't want to waste anymore time._

_I don't want to waste anymore time that we might have together.'_

And in a shaky hand, she had signed her name.

Even now, she wanted to rip this one to pieces, but it was her most successful attempt at putting haphazard to thoughts to paper and she was out of time. It was nearly four, and Gerda would be coming to bring her to Anna any moment.

The lock of her door clicked._Speak of the devil, _Elsa thought to herself.

"Elsa dear, are you ready for your visit?"

Elsa looked up and after a careful glance back at her letter, she nodded and stood. She folded the letter carefully.

"What's that dear, a letter? Is it for Anna?" Gerda's voice was curious, but not pushy. The gentleness in it allowed Elsa to nod with only the slightest bit of trepidation, and though she could feel the beaming smile on the elderly woman's face she dared not look up and risk betraying the anxiousness she knew swirled in her eyes. "That's wonderful, dear!"

Soon enough the two were on their way to the visitor's lounge and Elsa had safely tucked the letter away in the waistband of her leggings. A hand hovered over it, ready to catch it if it threatened to fall out of place. Every step brought her closer to Anna's smiling face, and though there was fear in her heart that the letter wasn't good enough, wasn't worded right, Elsa had faith in Anna. She was even starting to have faith in herself.

"Here we are, dear. Just between us, Anna seems to be in a very good mood today. Lucky you," Gerda said with a cheeky wink.

_A good mood?_ Elsa thought. A smile spread across her face. That was wonderful! That was absolutely wonderful news!

Elsa stepped into the visitor's lounge and immediately her eyes alighted onto Anna's smiling face. Anna was _smiling._ She looked happier and brighter than she had in weeks, and Elsa couldn't have been happier. She was moving forward before the door even clicked shut behind her. Anna wasn't seated at their usual table, she was instead with that same young boy Elsa had been introduced to not too long ago. Olaf, if she remembered correctly. The pair were coloring together, and were watched over by an elderly woman who was smiling warmly down at the little boy. Her frail hands were folded neatly on top of a massive pile of scribbles, many of which had poorly-drawn pictures of snowmen on them.

Elsa moved to Anna's side, a hand resting on the back of her chair. Content to wait until Anna noticed her, she watched as Anna tried her hand at drawing. She wasn't very good, and when Elsa cocked her head to see better she found that it didn't really help at all. She was still hopelessly lost. It was only when Olaf shouted "Done!" a bit too loudly, and both artists held up their masterpieces that Elsa had to clap a hand over her mouth.

If she was reading the situation accordingly, the two had challenged each other to a portrait-drawing competition and tried to draw their opponents. Elsa wasn't sure whose was worse. Anna was no artist, and Olaf had clearly tried more to draw what he felt like drawing than to capture what he was really seeing.

"Olaf!" Anna giggled. "You gave me tattoos!"

"Freckles!" Olaf corrected, his buck teeth displayed proudly as his lopsided smile stretched wider. "Olaf win!"

"What?" Anna shouted in disbelief. "Oh come on, I got your teeth perfect! Look at those puppies," Anna said as she gestured to her drawing, which honestly looked like a cartoon smiley face under a mess of black squiggles that were supposed to be hair.

Olaf giggled in return. "My teef aren't puppies, silly! Olaf win!"

Elsa grinned affectionately and finally decided to announce her presence by tapping Anna on the shoulder, and though Anna jumped in surprise she beamed when she saw Elsa's face. "Elsa! Boy am I glad to see you. Can you please explain to this silly boy that I am the champion in this contest?" When Elsa shook her head, Anna clutched at her heart and whined in protest. "But, but... hmph. Okay fine. You win this round Olaf. I gotta go now little buddy, okay?"

"Okay!" Olaf said with a smile. "Bye, Anna!"

"Buh-bye, little guy. Have a good day, Mrs. Anderson!"

Elsa watched the little old woman give Anna a smile before she stretched out to fix Olaf's messy hair. He didn't seem to mind having her in his personal space, so Elsa guessed that she was familiar to him. She didn't have long to dwell, because Anna boldly slipped her hand into Elsa's and began to lead them to their couch. Elsa savored the feeling of Anna's hand in hers and smiled warmly at the back of the other girl's head. Anna must have felt her stare because she turned to glance at Elsa over her shoulder and smiled right back. Of all the visits Anna and Elsa had shared, Elsa could tell that this one was going to be the most important. Whether it was the light in Anna's eyes, somehow reassuringly familiar and new all at the same time, the letter waiting to be shared, or the fact that Elsa was aware of how easily she was able to meet that old woman's eyes, something in the air was charged and it was exciting.

Anna sat them down and Elsa wasn't afraid to move closer. A jolt when up her leg when their knees touched, and she grinned at the light dusting of red already anointing Anna's cheeks. "Th-that was Olaf's grandmother," Anna said shyly, her teal eyes sparkling as they stared into Elsa's. "This is the first time I've met her, but she's a real sweetie."

Elsa nodded in response and reached up to cup Anna's cheek. She stroked the skin with her thumb, enjoying the way Anna's eyes almost fluttered shut. "Um..." Anna shrugged her backpack off and unzipped it, reaching inside for something. "I'm super excited to see you again, Elsa. I've kinda had... the most bizarre week ever. But in a good way! A really good way, and there's something I wanna talk to you about but first..."

Elsa's mouth watered when Anna retrieved a chocolate bar from her bag. It dark chocolate too, her absolute favorite. "I figured since I forgot to bring you a truffle during my last visit, I should treat you this time around to something a little more substantial!"

Elsa wondered what she'd done right to make today so wonderful. She grinned and eagerly reached for the chocolate bar, ripping open the wrapper and breaking off her first piece. She popped it into her mouth and immediately broke off another piece for Anna. While the two ate Anna told Elsa about the strange encounter she'd had with Hercules, about how far she was progressing in the video game Kristoff had made her start, and about the pizza she was planning on ordering for dinner. At one point it looked like she wanted to talk about something else, excitement shining in her eyes, before she seemed to second guess herself and Elsa could almost see the thought retreating back into Anna's head.

When the chocolate was finished Elsa reached for Anna's hand and began to play with it, stroking the other girl's palm and measuring Anna's fingers against her own. Anna seemed content to watch, giggling when Elsa hit a ticklish spot. Eventually, Elsa grew bored. Anna rolled her eyes when Elsa bit her lip and made her two fingers 'walk' their way up Anna's arm, and giggled when they ducked in to briefly tickle her neck. Elsa's hand returned to it's place on Anna's cheek and this time Anna wasn't afraid to let her eyes fall shut as she nuzzled into Elsa's touch. Elsa's heart soared. She let herself savor the moment.

_Someday,_ she told herself. _Someday I'll be able to do this in a house, a home. Not a hospital. Someday, I want this girl to be mine. And I want to be hers._

_I'll do anything to make that happen. I will._

She briefly considered giving her letter to Anna now, while she had the courage. Just as the thought flitted through her head though, Anna's eyes opened. There was a note of seriousness in them that immediately had Elsa's heart tightening in her chest. "Okay, this is amazing and nice and wonderful but I _really_ have to talk to you about that thing now. Before I, y'know fall asleep again."

Elsa tried to tell herself that this wasn't going to be a bad thing, something to ruin their good day, but 'I need to talk to you' is never a strictly good thing. It usually means important things. Difficult things.

"So... I'm not really sure how to start this." Anna raised a hand and placed it over Elsa's, holding it for a moment before drawing it away from her face. She straightened up and, though she threaded her fingers through Elsa's, her face remained serious. "I want us to be together."

Elsa blinked. There was silence for a moment as she processed what Anna had just said.

_She wants, that is- _

_...what?_

In an instant she was beet red. And sweating.

"I like you, Elsa. And, and I know you like me. You... do, right? Like me?"

Elsa nodded furiously, grasping Anna's hand in both her own now, eyes wide with disbelief and shock and so much _hope._

Anna could do nothing but blush and stammer under the intensity of Elsa's gaze. "R-right. So, I want to give us a chance. Whoa, 'us,' that sounds weird out loud. Not weird, weird! Just weird different, I guess. Um... wow, I had a whole speech thing and it just totally dribbled out of my brain. Jeez Christian, nice visual. Really attractive." Anna smacked a hand to her forehead, took a deep breath in, and for a moment was silent.

"Okay so, here's the hard part. I want us to be together, and that's why for now... I'm calling off the PDA. No PDA! No kissing, no getting anymore attached than we already are. No... _relationship_ until, well... well until we're in a healthy enough place to really _be_ in one. Does that make sense?"

Elsa could only stare. This was a lot for her to process in very little time. Neither her heart nor her head had been ready for any sort of confession except the one she held on her very person, and even that she'd nearly worried herself to death over. Any confidence she'd had over giving it to the other girl was also completely _shot. _There was absolutely no way she'd be able to give it to Anna now. No way at all. In fact, right now she felt very much like ripping it into tiny pieces, just like all its brethren.

Anna had done the unthinkable, done what Elsa in her wildest dreams never thought was possible. She'd just given Elsa a glimpse of a future together, the only thing Elsa wanted with all of her heart, claimed that it was a dream she too shared, and in that very same moment told her that dream was out of reach. Elsa wasn't sure if she should be overjoyed or devastated. Her head kept cycling through the giddy joy that was her response to learning that Anna returned her affections (something her own mind had practically convinced her was impossible), to the devastation of not being able to pursue that affection any further until some distant point in the future, to a desperate whine of _No more kissing?_

In all honesty the 'no kissing' was the only part shallow enough for her overworked brain to fully comprehend.

"...Elsa?"

Though it was hard, Elsa met Anna's gaze. Elsa's heart, already shaken, nearly broke when she saw how utterly _vulnerable_ Anna looked. She looked to be barely breathing, waiting desperately for Elsa to make some sign that she wasn't about to shatter. Though she felt very much like doing so, Elsa knew that she had to be strong. She tried to swallow back the lump that had risen in her throat, and even though she failed she gave Anna her best attempt at a smile. Anna's eyes darted back and forth between hers, watching for any sign of a tear. Elsa was too emotionally shell-shocked to cry, but she wasn't exactly sure she could stand to be happy at the moment.

Anna wanted them to be together, but only when the two of them were 'healthy.'

Elsa understood what she meant, and she knew she had no real right to oppose the notion. In her heart she knew that she could never give Anna what she deserved from her place here in the Institute. She knew that one day, she wanted to be able to tell Anna that she loved her. She knew that she wanted to be able to say Anna's _name._

Honestly what Anna was saying was what Elsa knew she wanted. She _knew_ that. But that didn't stop the creeping fear that was tickling its way through her blood and bones.

"Is... is that okay? Elsa?"

Elsa shut her eyes when she felt the first prick of tears. Instead of nodding or shaking her head or whatever would have been acceptable, Elsa leaned forward and pressed her forehead to Anna's. Anna immediately wrapped her arms around Elsa's shoulders and pulled her closer. "Oh, Elsa... I'm sorry. I know this is hard. But, I really think this is what's best for us. I mean, I'm not gonna lie I am gonna miss those kisses. They were pretty great."

Even when she was on the verge of tears, Anna could make her smile. With Anna holding her, Elsa found the strength to nod. The tears that threatened to fall never did, and Anna allowed her to gather herself before relaxing her grip and allowing Elsa to pull back. This time it was Anna who cupped Elsa's cheek in her hand. Elsa kept her eyes closed and held Anna's hand in place.

_I... Anna, I... _

_I'm not sure I can do this._

What if she was doomed to stay in that hospital forever? What if she never found her voice? What if the two of them were doomed to fail? All the what ifs swirled around in her head, faster and faster, louder and louder.

But then both of Anna's hands were cradling her face, and Elsa opened her eyes. Anna was grinning at her. Confidence and faith were clear in her eyes.

"You can do this," Anna whispered. "I know you can."

Elsa couldn't help herself. Nothing in the world could have stopped her from surging forward and crushing her lips to Anna's. Anna let out a muffled gasp but immediately returned the kiss, eyes falling shut. Elsa clutched at Anna's shirt, holding her close. The kiss was warm and fierce, filled with the promise of a relationship and all the frustration of that same relationship put on hold. Elsa never wanted it to end. But all good things must come to an end, and so eventually the two separated. Their foreheads remained touching though, neither girl willing to pull back just yet.

"Wow..." Anna whispered. Elsa held her breath. "That was not fair."

And just like that, everything was suddenly okay. Anna was still Anna, their feelings were known, and now Elsa knew what she had to do.

So when Gerda came to fetch her, it wasn't hard for her to let Anna go. No more than it usually was. The fierce blush that lit up freckled cheeks when Elsa blew a kiss was just a reminder that their future was real. Anna believed in her, and so Elsa would believe in herself. She had a chance. They had a chance.

"Well, someone certainly had a good visit." Gerda said with a smile. Elsa was so busy replaying the kiss in her head that she didn't even realize she was nodding in response. Gerda noticed it though, and she was ecstatic. Elsa had been making wonderful progress. And she could tell that Anna and Elsa had made great strides in their relationship. She was incredibly happy for them.

Alas, for that happiness was not to last.

As Elsa and Gerda ascended the stairs and turned to move up the next floor, thundering footsteps began to echo all around them. Gerda looked up, confusion in her eyes. "What in the world?"

Elsa heard the concern in the other woman's voice and glanced her way as the footsteps, frantic and pounding, grew louder and louder. Gerda reached out and pulled Elsa closer, a hand reaching for the walkie all orderlies carried on them. Panic rose in Elsa as Gerda barked some sort of warning into the device, her voice shaky.

"_You!"_

A chill went down Elsa's spine. She knew that voice. She looked up and into the poisonous eyes of Anna's older brother, Hans. He was wild-eyed and terrifying, his hair a mess as he descended the stairs, eyes boring deep into hers.

"You filthy, dirty, fucked up _freak!_" Hans seethed, touching down onto the floor that connected the stairwells and advancing on her. "I knew there was something wrong with you, and now I'm going to fucking-"

"Hans!" Gerda shouted, stepping forward and forcing Elsa behind her. "How did you- who let you out? Why are you here!? I demand that you go back to your room at once or-"

Hans reached out and grabbed Gerda by the collar of her shirt, jerking her towards him and practically snarling into her face. "Shut up, you stupid bitch," he hissed before he threw her against the wall. She struck the brick with a crack and sank to the floor, where she remained. She did not get up. Elsa's eyes widened and she took a step back, horror in her eyes. Hans was unfazed, his malicious green gaze returning to Elsa. He continued to move towards her, teeth bared. "I have business with the Ice Queen."

Elsa was terrified. There was murder in Hans' eyes, and she was alone. Gerda may have called for help, but she could very well be dead before it arrived. For a moment her eyes darted back towards the direction she'd come from and she considered making a break for it back down the stairs, but Hans stepped in front of her. There was a smoothness to his movements that betrayed the unrestrained fury in his eyes, like the sloping shoulders of a panther as it waits for the opportunity to rip a small animal to shreds, or the slick movements of a snake as it cuts through the grass, moving towards it's dinner.

"I know you've been visiting my sister, _freak._ Did you really think I wouldn't find out?" He lingered at the edge of the stairs, daring her to run. He was grinning manically now, now that he had his prey where he wanted it he was going to play with it. Torture it. "And I know how you feel about her." When Elsa's eyes widened Hans _laughed._ "Oh yes, I've always known. I always saw the way you'd stare at her, watch her with those prying eyes of yours. And I know my sister's been humoring you, because she's too good to break anyone's heart. Even a pathetic, needy little one like yours."

Now Hans grew serious, and the sick smile faded. "And I would have been content to let you wallow in your lonely, miserable little world, because I know that _I _will always be Anna's number one priority. Always."

_No, that's not true. Anna cares about me, she... she-_

"I know what you're thinking in that twisted little head. Anna really cares about you, hmm? She has to. She just has to. Because," Hans took a step closer. "What would you have if she didn't? Nothing. Not your parents, you can't even look them in the eye. Not anyone here, not with a nickname like 'Ice Queen.' Without Anna, you have nothing. And who am I to get in the way of your one-sided little attraction?"

Elsa was wide-eyed, heart hammering in her chest. How could he have known about her parents? None of the orderlies would have told him, that was against the hospital's policy! There was no way, no way he could have known... unless...

Hans' eyes were dark now, dark and threatening and full of promise to hurt. "But Anna is my sister. And as her older brother, it's my job to protect her. Protect her from harm, protect her from the world... protect her from sick little perverts like you."

Hans was holding something in his hand, a crumpled piece of paper. Paper that looked very familiar. He held it up for her to see, though the disgust written on his face made it clear that he found no joy in touching whatever he was holding. When Elsa realized what it was, her horrifying suspicion was confirmed. Hans had been in her room. He'd been in her room and looked through her things. Her letters, her birthday cards... her sketchbooks.

In Hans' hand was the one drawing Elsa had never been more proud... or ashamed of. It was of Anna, in full nude, lying in Elsa's bed. Though the body was little more than a fleshed-out sketch, Anna's face was so detailed that Elsa couldn't help but blush whenever she flipped past the page in her book. She was ashamed of that drawing, for she'd drawn it after a particularly restless night's sleep spent amongst wet sheets and the ghosts of wandering hands. The dream had replayed in her head over and over until finally, she allowed herself to put pencil to paper.

That Hans had it now, and had seen the depths of her depravity, was the ultimate shame. Elsa couldn't help but look away, and Hans took that opportunity to advance. He grabbed her by the upper arm, his grip promising black bruises.

"Before I found this disgusting thing, I would have just threatened to kill you if you ever came near my sister again. But we're past that point now." Hans released her and Elsa immediately cradled her arm, the pain still shooting needles into her skin.

He took the paper in both hands... and ripped it in half. Elsa's mouth opened in a silent scream, and when Hans did it again she covered her mouth and tears began to gather in the corner of her eyes. When he dropped the pieces she immediately lunged forward to grab them despite the danger. He sneered down at her. She cradled the pieces to her chest, tears falling in steady streams. This wasn't fair, this wasn't _fair_!

Hans reached down and grabbed Elsa by both arms this time, bringing her up to meet his eyes. "You are never going to see my sister again. I'm going to make sure it never happens. You'll never get to see her,"

_no_

"Hear her,"

_no..._

_"_Or _touch_ her again."

_No._

_"_You will never be with her so long as I exist."

_NO_

_"_I would rather die than let you anywhere near my sister again."

_NO!_

_"_So instead," Hans said, a sick grin lighting up his face while he pulled Elsa so close she could feel the malice on his breath._ "I'm going to kill you before you ever get the chance."_

A scream echoed throughout the stairwell. There was a crash, the sound of breaking bones, of a body hitting the floor, and then there was silence.

When they found Elsa, she was curled up in a ball in the corner of the stairwell. She was clutching shredded pieces of paper to her chest and rocking back and forth with tears streaming down her cheeks. One hand was clamped firmly over her mouth.

When they found Hans, he was in a broken heap at the bottom of the stairwell, blood pooling beneath his shattered body.

* * *

><p><strong>I bet you guys thought I was dead ;)<strong>

**-Cel**


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